PHNO-HL: 'FIGHTING' SOTTO BREAKS DOWN IN TEARS DURING RH DEBATE

'FIGHTING' SOTTO BREAKS DOWN IN TEARS DURING RH
DEBATE

[PHOTO -Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Ramon
"Bong" Revilla Jr. console Majority Floor Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III after
he became emotional while delivering his Turno en Contra on the Reproductive
Health (RH) bill during session, Monday, August 13, 2012. Sotto was in tears as
he told the story of his first-born son who died five months after birth. PHOTO BY JOSEPH VIDAL]
MANILA, AUGUST 15, 2012 (INQUIRER) By Cathy Yamsuan - From fighting
words to a tearful confession.

After a lengthy attack on the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill,
Senate Majority Leader Tito Sotto on Monday dissolved into tears, explaining
that his stand against the measure was both "professional and personal."

The senator, who has been receiving a steady stream of brickbats in social
networking sites for his position against the RH bill, broke down when he
recalled the death of his five-month-old son who, he claimed, was conceived even
while his wife was taking birth control pills.

Monday was his son's 37th death anniversary, Sotto said of Vincent Paul who
was born on March 13, 1975, with a weak heart that required him to undergo daily
blood transfusions.

His voice breaking, Sotto recalled that after their firstborn Romina was born
in 1973, a doctor friend suggested that his wife Helen take contraceptives so
she could resume her show-biz career.

"A few months after Romina was born, Helen got pregnant again even while
taking pills," Sotto recounted. Born with a weak heart, his son never left the
hospital where he subsequently died five months later, the senator said.

Sotto also recounted how his fellow senators, Lito Lapid and RH bill
principal sponsor Pia Cayetano, had mourned the early deaths of their own
children. Lapid's son, Sotto said, was a blue baby who died when he was nine.
Cayetano's son, Gabriel Sebastian, also suffered congenital problems and lived
for only nine months.

"My fellow senators have their sad stories, but I still think they are
blessed because they were able to hold and embrace their children. I could only
watch my son through the glass. I never got to hold him," Sotto sobbed.

He said that a doctor later told him and Helen that their son had suffered
complications because of the pills his wife had taken.

Sotto said he had initially questioned why God took his son so soon.

"But now I realize it happened because I have a job to do—to warn people
about the dangers of contraceptives. That is my mission now," he said.

Sotto said people always thought that he and his wife Helen had only four
children: Romina, Diorela, Gian and Ciara.

"Actually we have six. Helen and I consider Sharon (Cuneta) our firstborn
since we eloped in 1969. That's why I call (Sen. Francis) Kiko (Pangilinan) my
son-in-law," he said.

Sharon Cuneta is actually Helen Sotto's niece, being the daughter of the
latter's sister, Elaine.

After the emotional scene at the Senate, Cayetano opted to defer her response
to Sotto's speech.
FROM ABS-CBN
Sotto denies making up story on son's death By
David Dizon, ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 08/15/2012 6:43 PM | Updated as of
08/15/2012 8:24 PM
MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Vicente "Tito" Sotto III on Wednesday
fired back at his critics, calling them "callous" and "insensitive" for
questioning his claim that his son died due to side effects of contraceptives.

Sotto singled out former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral and Iloilo Rep.
Janet Garin for questioning his earlier statement that his wife's contraceptive
use caused their son's heart condition, which later killed him.
"I would like to take exception to statements made by Esperanza Cabral,
former secretary of health during the time of Gloria Arroyo, and to a certain
extent Congresswoman Janet Garin," he said.
"I find their statements callous and insensitive and it is unfortunate that
the reproductive health debate has come to this level. They should have given
the sorrow of my family more respect," he added.
Cabral earlier dared Sotto to produce his son's death certificate and
hospital records to show the actual cause of death of the 5-month-old baby.
She noted that Dr. Carmen Enverga-Santos, obstetrician of Sotto's wife Helen
Gamboa, is already dead and cannot confirm or belie Sotto's claim.
Garin, meanwhile, said Sotto should consider suing the doctor for the mental
anguish she caused by linking contraceptives to Vincent Paul's death. She said
Sotto's wife might not have been taking birth control pills under doctor's
supervision.
On Thursday, Sotto produced his son's death certificate, saying he will give
copies to advocates of the Reproductive Health Bill.
"Bibigyan ko sila ng kopya. Baka akala nila di ko papatulan," he said.
He also said his wife used Diane Birth control pills under the supervision of
Dr. Santos.
"She was supervised by her doctor while using it. Intelihente naman po yung
asawa ko. Alam niya kung paano gumamit nito," he said.
Sotto said even his own mother, Dr. Herminia Castelo-Sotto, agreed that
Vincent Paul's heart condition was linked to Gamboa's contraceptive use. He
noted his mother was a staunch women's rights activist and the first Medical
Commissioner of Workmen's Compensation Commission of the Department of Labor and
Employment.
"Ayon sa kanila (Sotto and Santos), ang pagbubuntis ng aking maybahay na si
Helen kahit may contraceptives at gagamit ng contraceptives ay maaaring naging
sanhi ng complication, prematurity at eventually pagkamatay ng anak namin. Bakit
ko iimbentuhin ang katotohanang ito?" he said.
Contraceptives are abortifacients
Sotto reiterated that contraceptives are abortifacients and pose serious
health risks to women and children born to mothers who use contraceptives but
still get pregnant.
He challenged his critics to answer him point by point instead of attacking
his character via posts on Facebook and Twitter.
"May mga nananakot pa. Kung sa mga drug lords hindi ako natakot, sa kanila
pa," he said.
The senator said he does not intend to call for a complete ban on
contraceptives nor does he intend to stop people from using contraceptives.
However, he said it is his duty as a lawmaker to study the implications of the
Reproductive Health bill on all Filipinos.
He said the book "The Greatest Experiment Ever Performed on Women: Exploding
the Estrogen Myth," by Barbara Seaman, shows the serious side effects of
estrogen use. He said the book showed that in a cohort of 50,282 preganancies,
19 children with cardiovascular defects were born to 1,042 women who received
female hormones during their pregnancy.
"I don't need to be a doctor to know the possible complications on children
from women who take birth control pills but still get pregnant," he said.
FROM ABS-CBN
'Misinformed' Sotto should sue his doctor: Garin
By David Dizon, ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 08/14/2012 11:01 AM |
Updated as of 08/14/2012 4:40 PM

[PHOTO - Congresswoman Janette L. Garin is the District Representative
of the First District of Iloilo and currently serves as the Senior Deputy
Majority Leader in the Philippine House of Representatives.]
MANILA, Philippines - One of the authors of the Reproductive Health Bill said
Sen. Vicente "Tito" Sotto III should sue his wife's doctor for linking
contraceptives to the death of his firstborn son.
Iloilo Rep. Janet Garin said she sympathizes with Sotto over the death of his
son, Vincent Paul, but noted that the senator was misinformed about the cause of
his son's heart condition.
"I sympathize with the death of his son 37 years ago but hearing him say that
he was told by his doctor that the cause of heart disease was the intake of
pills, I would strongly suggest that he sue his doctor for all this mental
anguish they have been suffering because it is definitely not true," she told
ANC's Headstart.
Sotto earlier said his campaign to block the passage of the RH Bill was a
personal mission after his son, Vincent Paul, died due to alleged side effects
of contraceptives. The senator said his son died due to a weak heart condition.

He said his wife's doctor could find no cause for his son's heart condition
except that his wife, actress Helen Gamboa, took contraceptives.
"The Makati Medical Center said he died because my wife used contraceptives.
Even her doctor admits to the fact, Dra. Enderga Santos," he said.
Sen. Pia Cayetano, meanwhile, sympathized with Sotto but said there is no
evdience that shows a link between contraceptive use and heart conditions of
children.
She also noted that contraceptives are supposed to be used with doctors'
advice, and not just given out.
Garin, who is a medical doctor, disputed Sotto's statement that condoms pose
health risks and that contraceptives are carcinogenic.
She said contraceptive pills are made out of a combination of estrogen and
progesterone, which takes out side effects.
In the case of Gamboa, Garin said it is possible that the actress was not
taking the pills correctly.
"She might not be taking it daily or not taking it correctly on when it
should be taken. (If you miss a pill), there's a possibility you might get
pregnant," she said.
The congresswoman said Sotto's statement actually shows the need to pass the
Reproductive Health Bill or the Responsible Parenthood Bill to teach the people
how to use contraceptives.
"This is where the problem is, we have respectable people like Sen. Sotto
misinforming the public.....with the misinformation, many lives are being
sacrified, many people are put into danger because of this misinformation," she
said.


Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet

This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.

To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/

(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/