"Jessy," 16, cares for her infant baby inside their home in a permanent housing tenement in Bgy. Smokey Mountain, Tondo Manila, May 9, 2018. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA -- Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday fired back at critics of Senate Bill 1979, or the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill.

This, after claims circulated on social media that the proposed measure, among others, will teach children as young as 4 years old about childhood masturbation, introduce 6-year-olds to the concept of bodily pleasures through the five senses, and assert  that by age 9, children have their own sexual rights.

"Alin nga ba yung mga mali-mali? Una, walang anumang probisyon tungkol sa pagtuturo o paghikayat ng masturbation sa mga batang edad 0 to 4 years old o yung magtuturo daw diumano ng 'bodily pleasure' sa mga batang 6-9 years old o na ituturo din daw sa bata na may 'sexual rights' sila. Absolutely none of those concepts exist in our bill. Those lines in their supposed rebuttal are complete and total fabrication," said Hontiveros in a press conference at the Senate.

She also denied that a document called "Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe" served as the basis of the bill. Instead, the bill was based on the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law.

"Ikatlo, isa pang fake news: na kung ang bata ay sexually active, 'hindi na daw pwedeng sabihan ang mga magulang.' Kung saan nila nahugot yan, hindi ko alam. Dahil walang batas o anumang polisiya sa Pilipinas ang magtatangkang magbawal sa mga magulang na gumabay sa ating mga anak," Hontiveros added.

"In short, I can confidently say: these outrageous claims from Project Dalisay were pulled out of thin air," she stressed.

READ: DOH eyes to make 'more modern contraception' available to 'all sexually-active age groups'

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According to the senator, adolescent pregnancies have become a huge problem for the country. 

"This bill isn't just necessary: it is urgent. We cannot ignore this issue anymore," said Hontiveros. "May national emergency na nga, ang inatupag pa nila ay pananakot sa mga Pilipino. Enough is enough. Let us demand real education for our kids."

The bill is backed by Undersecretary Angelo Tapales, Executive Director of the Council for the Welfare of Children, as well as Dr. Jeepy Perez, former executive director of the Population Commission.

During the press conference, Hontiveros identified the so-called Project Dalisay as responsible for spreading misinformation about the measure.

"Wala po akong reklamo kung may mga iba't ibang stakeholder organizations na puposisyon para o kontra sa isang panukalang batas namin dito. Pero kailangan on the basis of facts, lalo na po pag ganitong klaseng panukalang batas ang pinag-uusapan, na gustong isulong ang child protection para sa isang especially vulnerable na sektor sa ating lipunan," she said.

Hontiveros said those behind Project Dalisay participated in the committee proceedings on the bill.

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, a representative of Project Dalisay, said their group is opposed to some provisions of the bill. She also claimed that the bill runs counter to the constitution.

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"Ang sinasabi ng grupo ng mga parents na biglang nag-ingay, ito po yung Project Dalisay at yung National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution, bakit natin binabay-pass ang primary duty ng parents to teach sexuality. E meron naman tayong RA 11908, Parental Effectiveness Service Program," she said. 

"Ibig sabihin, i-equip natin yung parents, magtulungan ang school, ang parents, ang PTA, ang LGUs, at iba't iba pang ahensya ng gobyerno," she added.

Sereno also proposed that the country go the way of Singapore in curbing teen pregnancy.

"Mayroon po bang alternative? Kasi lahat tayo gusto natin bawasan ang teenage pregnancy. Meron po, sa Singapore po, under the Ministry of Education, ang sexuality education nila ay ginawa nilang parang transcendent ang vision ng kabataan. Ibig sabihin, ang bata, tinuruan nilang mangarap ng malayo para ma-achieve ang kanilang mga aspirations sa buhay. And then they are teaching self-control. Ibig sabihin, sinasabi nila, magandang pag-isipan ang plano nyo, mag-restrain kayo and in fact, abstinence is a good standard for Singaporean youth," she said.

The bill is pending Second Reading before the plenary session of the Senate, with 17 senators having signed the committee report to bring the bill to the full Senate for discussion.