Philippines
Republic Act 10354
Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012
Note: The following sections of the RPRH Act provide for
conscientious objection by hospitals owned and operated by religious groups
(Section 7) and by health care service providers (Section 8). The Act demands that objectors refer patients for the morally contested
services, something which some objectors are unwilling to do because they
hold that referral makes them morally complicit in the act that follows.
Objectors who refuse to refer patients are threatened with up to 6 months
imprisonment and a fines of up to 100,000 pesos ($2,436 USD), or both. However, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled in 2014 that the requirement for referral is unconstitutional
Section 7: Access to Family Planning
All accredited public health facilities shall provide a full range of
modern family planning methods, which shall also included medical
consultations, supplies and necessary and reasonable procedures for poor and
marginalized couples having infertility issues who destire to have children:
Provided, That family planning services shall likewise be extended
by private health facilities to paying patients with the option to grant
free care and services to indigents, except in the case of non-maternity
specialty hospitals and hospitals owned and operated by a religious group,
but they have the option to provide such full range of modern family
planning methods. Provided further, That these hospitals
shall immediately refer the person seeking such care and services to another
health facility which is conveniently accessible: Provided, finally,
That the person is not in an emergency condition or serious case as defined
in Republic Act No. 8344.
No person shall be denied information and access to family planning
services, whether natural or artificial: Provided, That minors will
not be allowed access to modern methods of family planning without written
consent from their parents or guardians, except when the minor is already a
parent or has had a miscarriage.
Section 23: Prohibited Acts
The following acts are prohibited:
a) Any health care service provider, whether public or private, who
shall . . .
(3) Refuse to extend quality health care services and
information on account of the person's marital status, gender, age,
religious convictions, personal circumstances or nature of work:
Provided, That the conscientious objection of a health care services
provider based on his/her ethical or religious beliefs shall be respected;
however, the conscientious objector shall immediately refer the person
seeking such care and services to another health care service provider
within the same facility or one which is conveniently accessible.
Provided further, That the person is not in an emergency condition or
serious case as defined in Republic Act No. 8344, which penalizes the
refusal of hospitals and medical clinics to administer appropriate initial
medical treatment and support in emergency and serious cases;
Section 24: Penalities
Any violation of this Act or commission of the foregoing prohibited acts
shall be penalized by imprisonment ranging from one (1) month to six (6)
months or a find of Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) to One hundred thousand
pesos (P100,000.00), or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of
the competent court. . .
If the offender is a juridical person, the penalty shall be imposed upon
the president or any responsible officer . . .