The Constitutionality of a Reproductive Health Care Law

The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, known as the RH Law, is a groundbreaking law that guarantees universal and free access to nearly all modern contraceptives for all citizens, including impoverished communities, at government health centers. The RH law upholds the constitutional guarantees on separation of church and state and non-establishment of religion and clearly manifests that conservative religious beliefs should not be used as basis for crafting Philippine laws. Public officials must enact laws that ensure women’s right to life and health and public health and not those that aid religion. As decided by our Supreme Court, our standard in law should be secular standard and not religious standards. All these constitutional guarantees are there to maintain public good and uphold human rights.