Position Paper About The Legalization Of Abortion In The Philippines

1 SHOULD ABORTION BE LEGALIZED IN THE PHILIPPINES? I. INTRODUCTION Abortion is one of the most contentious issues in todays culture. Pro-choice individuals think that a woman has the right to decide what she wants to do with her body, including getting an abortion. Contrarily, pro-lifers hold that abortion is murder and that a woman shouldnt have the freedom to make that decision. Whatever side of the argument you are on, there is no disputing that abortion is a difficult and sensitive subject. The Philippines Constitution does not expressly forbid abortion, but the nations laws do have some limitations on the procedure. Abortion is still widely practiced in the Philippines despite the legal limitations. According to research done in 2012, the nation had close to 600,000 abortions that year. Given the easier access to abortion services in recent years, this number is probably considerably higher today. The nations abortion regulations are currently being pushed for liberalization. In 2018, a bill that would have decriminalized abortion in some circumstances was submitted. However, the Philippine legislature has not yet approved the bill. Despite the fact that all abortions are still prohibited and demonized in the Philippines, legalizing abortion would give women greater