Legalization of Abortion in the Philippines

Abortion is the loss of a fetus before it is able to life outside the womb. Miscarriage is the
term used to describe an abortion that occurs spontaneously. In some cultures, induced abortion is
considered a moral concern. Others consider it an acceptable option to end an unexpected
pregnancy. When performed by trained medical personnel within the first three months (first
trimester) of pregnancy, abortion is a relatively easy and safe process. Abortion becomes less safe
as the pregnancy progresses. Because abortion is still illegal in the Philippines, many Filipinos
who have undergone abortions have done it illegally and under the supervision of untrained
doctors. As a result of illness and bleeding, several women perished. Every year, over 1,000
Filipino women die as a result of abortion complications, contributing to the country's high
maternal mortality rate. Yearly, tens of thousands of women are hospitalized as a result of
complications from unsafe abortions.
In any case, what is the procedure for having an abortion? 1 Medical abortion is a method
of terminating a pregnancy that involves the use of medication. Medical abortions do not
necessitate surgery or anesthesia. It might begin in a medical office or at home, with follow -up
visits to your doctor. It is most effective and safe during the first trimester of pregnancy. A medical
abortion is a big decision with emotional and psychological ramifications. If you're thinking about
having this operation done, make sure you're aware of the dangers, side effects, complications, and
alternatives.

2 During the first trimester, the conventional surgical approach for abortion is to put a metal
or plastic tube into the uterus through its entrance, the cervix. A spoon-like tool at the end of the
tube is used to scrape the uterine walls gently. The contents of the uterus are removed by a suction
machine at the opposite end of the tube. This operation is known as vacuum aspiration, and it is
often performed in a medical clinic or doctor's office with a local anesthetic for the cervix.
Abortions are often performed during the second trimester via dilation and evacuation. Forceps, a
curette, and vacuum aspiration are used in this Although rarely sought, third-trimester abortions
may be performed when the fetus has severe genetic defects or because continuing the pregnancy
would be a threat to the woman's health.

Though, there’s a much safer procedure. 3 In 1988, a dispute erupted over RU 486, a
medication created in France that, when taken during the first seven weeks of pregnancy, causes
the embryo to become detached from the uterus. According to reports, the medicine is both safer
and less expensive than surgical abortion. Anti-abortion activists in France were successful in

1
https://www.guttmacher.org/report/unintended-pregnancy-and-unsafe-abortion-philippines-context-
and-consequences
2
https://www.webmd.com/women/abortion-procedures
3
Crompton’s Encyclopedia
temporarily stopping the sale of the medication, though the government ultimately ordered its
reintroduction. Family planning organizations in the United States, France, and elsewhere, as well
as the World Health Organization and the World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics, all
approved the use of RU 486. The long-term effects of RU 486 on the health of women were
unknown. Abortion is permitted
In its Roe vs. Wade decision on January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court
established a woman's right to an abortion. Previously, many abortions in the United States were
conducted illegally and in inexperienced hands. Many women died as a result of illness and
bleeding. It also resulted in a high rate of sterility, or the inability to bear children indefinitely.
Unfortunately, in June 2022, the United States Supreme Court repealed Roe vs. Wade, allowing
states to outright ban abortion. Only a few weeks following the judgment, nearly all 13 states'
trigger restrictions went into force, and abortion is now prohibited in several states. After several
years, the United States Supreme Court has decided to prohibit abortion in certain states.
Prosecution for abortion is now a possibility for millions of women across the United States,
following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 decision that made
seeking an abortion a constitutional right. States now have jurisdiction over abortion regulations,
and some have outright prohibited the procedure.
4 ThePhilippines still has one of the most stringent abortion regulations in the world.
Women, doctors, and anyone else involved in causing abortions face up to six years in prison.
There are no explicit provisions that allow for exclusions. Despite the stringent legislation, many
Filipino women seek abortions. Because of the restrictive law, the majority of them have unsafe
abortions. Decriminalizing abortion would reduce consequences for women and other
marginalized genders, as well as medical practitioners who may choose to perform the service. It
would also overturn a centuries-old law.
5 Abortion in the Philippines is still illegal. There are no exceptions to the criminal rules on
abortion, such as saving the pregnant woman's life or protecting her health. Under Spanish colonial
control, abortion was criminalized under the Penal Code of 1870, and the criminal prohibitions
were integrated into the Revised Penal Code passed in 1930 during US occupation of the
Philippines. The prohibition of abortion has not prevented abortion; rather, it has rendered the
practice hazardous and potentially lethal for the nearly 500,000 women who attempt to terminate
their pregnancies each year. The Philippines' criminal abortion ban was reported to have killed at
least 1,000 women and caused difficulties for another 90,000 in 2008.
6 Regardless of the hazards, many women in the Philippines seek alternative treatments for
undesired or unviable pregnancies. According to lawyer Clara Rita Padilla, a spokeswoman for the
Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN), while there are "progressive
interpretations" of abortion law in the Philippines, there are no explicit exclusions allowing for
termination of pregnancies even in extreme instances such as rape and incest - or to save the
pregnant woman's life. According to a 2020 PINSAN estimate, 1.26 million abortions were
conducted in the Philippines in 2020, "placing the lives and health of Filipina women. Another
study undertaken by the University of the Philippines estimated that the country has 1.1 million

4
https://www.girlsglobe.org/2021/09/28/making-unsafe-abortion-history-in-the-philippines/
5
https://reproductiverights.org/sites/crr.civicactions.net/files/documents/pub_fac_philippines_2010.pdf
6
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/18/asia/philippines-abortion-ban-debate-women-rights-roe-wade-intl-
hnk-dst/index.html
abortions yearly. According to Padilla, the majority of women who had abortions hailed from
lower-income families, and many were under the age of 25. Women routinely turned to unsafe
underground abortions done by midwives, healers, and unskilled doctors in improvised clinics in
the absence of legal treatments, she claimed. "The Philippines is the result of deeply held religious
ideas." Abortion bans are already a reality in our country, and women from low-income families
and minority groups suffer the most."
7 The Philippine government's capitulation to the demands of the Catholic hierarchy,
particularly the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, maintains the stigma associated
with abortion (CBCP). The strength of the Catholic hierarchy's influence in the Philippines was
evident in 1987, when Catholic bishops and leaders were successful in making the 1987
Constitution the first Philippines constitution ever to recognize a government obligation to protect
"the life of the unborn from conception." The Philippine government continues to allow the CBCP
to undermine women's health even today, by yielding to its demands to deprive women of a range
of reproductive options.
8 Opponents argue that it is past time for the Philippines to remove "inhumane elements"
from its abortion law and finally decriminalize abortion in order to save women's lives. "These
rules have only resulted in a silent epidemic of unsafe abortions that have taken so many Filipina
women's lives," stated by the country's new opposition leader, Senator Risa Hontiveros. "We
should also not be sending women to jail after such tough and unpleasant experiences," Hontiveros
said, adding that the practice of dangerous underground abortions had to end. She also emphasized
the need of decriminalizing abortion as a patriotic move for the country. "Women must be alert in
protecting our rights and liberties, especially as authoritarianism and religious fanaticism "I
wholeheartedly support the effort to decriminalize abortion under Philippine law."

There are pros and cons if abortion would be legalized in the Philippines. One of the
benefits of this would be ending unplanned pregnancies, lowering poverty rates in suburb parts of
the Philippines, stopping overpopulation in this country, and many more. Though being a Catholic
majority country we can’t seem to accept the legalization of abortion in the Philippines. We believe
that it is a sin to abort a fetus in the womb of the mother, this kind of stigma can lead to stereotypical
mindset to the Filipino people thinking that abortion is bad. But, I, therefore conclude, that we
should legalize abortion, because this can significantly help the Filipino citizen, though it still
depends on the case and circumstances.

7
https://reproductiverights.org/sites/crr.civicactions.net/files/documents/pub_fac_philippines_2010.pdf
8
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/18/asia/philippines-abortion-ban-debate-women-rights-roe-wade-intl-
hnk-dst/index.html