SENATE Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros clarified on Thursday (23 Jan 2025) that the withdrawal of signatures from the committee report on Senate Bill No. 1979, which seeks to establish a national policy to prevent adolescent pregnancies, will not send the measure back to the committee level.

“Withdrawal of signatures doesn’t revert it to the committee,” Hontiveros said during a Kapihan sa Senado forum. She added that she expects the substitute bill she filed for the controversial measure to be tackled soon in the Senate plenary.

“My understanding is that this substitute bill will soon be interpellated in the plenary,” Hontiveros said. “The withdrawal of signatures doesn’t affect its status. Any objections or concerns from other senators should be raised in the plenary through questions or proposed amendments.”

The measure faced challenges when seven senators withdrew their signatures from the committee report on SBN 1979. These lawmakers include Senators JV Ejercito, Cynthia Villar, Bong Go, Nancy Binay, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla, and Loren Legarda.

When asked if any senators expressed interest in reinstating their signatures now that a substitute bill has been filed, Hontiveros said none had done so yet, though she remains optimistic.

She emphasized that the substitute bill offers a chance for a fresh start in the legislative process. “This is a fresh start for all of us in the legislative history of SBN 1979, which has already undergone interpellations over the past two years by both the minority and majority leaders,” she said.

Hontiveros expressed hope that the 19th Congress would leave a meaningful legacy with the passage of an effective, family-centered measure to address adolescent pregnancy.