President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. —PPA POOL

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday guaranteed that he will not let Senate Bill No. 1979, otherwise known as the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023, pass as a law.

He cited the measure’s “ridiculous” and “abhorrent” provisions as the reason.

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In an ambush interview in Taguig City, Marcos said he read in detail SB No. 1979 over the weekend, and he was “shocked” and “appalled” by some of the details of the proposed law.

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“You will teach four-year-olds how to masturbate; that every child has the right to try different sexualities,” the president recalled what he read.

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“This is ridiculous. This is abhorrent. This is a travesty of what sex education should be to the children,” he expressed dismay.

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He then aired concern about the parents’ role in teaching their children about these matters.

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“What about the parents? Wala na silang karapatan na sila ang mag-decide kung ano at kailan tuturuan yung bata,” he observed.

(They no longer have the right to decide what and when to teach the child.)

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“We all… I’m a parent, and I’m a grandparent. So I feel very strongly about this,” Marcos said.

But the president clarified that he is in full support of teaching children their anatomy, reproductive systems, consequences of early pregnancy, and the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus.

“But the woke absurdities they’ve included are abhorrent to me,” explained the chief executive.

“And I am already guaranteeing, even though it hasn’t been passed yet, if this bill is passed in that form, I guarantee all parents, teachers, and children, I will immediately veto it,” he said.

India, the world’s second-largest consumer of gold jewelry, cut the import tax on gold in July to six percent from 15 percent, sparking a significant increase in appetite for gold jewelry, bars, and coins.

READ: Hontiveros refutes critics of prevention of adolescent pregnancy bill

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, author of the bill, addressed what she deemed mere “fabrications” about SB 1979, including the supposed provisions seeking to encourage masturbation in children aged 0 to 4 or teach bodily pleasure to children aged 6 to 9.

“Nakakagulat at nakakagalit ang mga kasinungalingan na kumakalat sa social media laban sa panukalang batas na ito,” she said.

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(The circulating lies about this bill are shocking and annoying.)

“We all want what’s best for our children. But outright lies, misinformation, disinformation, and promoting fear can lead to more harmful decisions about our teen’s lives. Nililito lang nila tayo,” she said in a press conference.

The opposition lawmaker’s remarks came after the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution’s Project Dalisay submitted an online petition seeking to junk SBN 1979.

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The group claimed that the legislation poses a significant threat to the country’s societalswerteplay, moral and spiritual foundations.

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