SURROUNDED by pro-life advocates, including Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron and Sen. Dennis Rodriguez, Gov. Eddie Calvo yesterday signed into law Bill 52, the Women’s Reproductive Act of 2011.

Bill 52, passed by the Legislature last Oct. 24, requires that all women who seek an abortion be first given information on her rights, the father’s responsibilities, and resources available to her. A 24-hour waiting period is also required after the information is provided before the woman can undergo the procedure.

In signing the bill into law, Calvo said: “This is not something religious. There are people who do this for religious reasons and moral reasons, but folks let’s get to the bottom of all this. The ultimate end process is a live human being. It doesn’t have to just be in a religious sense but also in a scientific biological sense.”

Sen. Rodriguez, the chairman of the health committee, stated: “It was difficult to move this forward. But at the end of the day, it’s a simple legislation, it’s about informing the woman before she makes a decision. The choice is still up to her.”

Despite heavy support for the bill, Adelup found several problem areas in the language of the bill.

The governor’s legal counsel, Maria Cenzon, said there was problematic language in the bill, particularly in the section of the law that outlines the mandates of the informational pamphlet.

However, the governor is confident the law will hold up against any “mischief.”

“We’re ready to deal with extreme mischief,” he assured.

Concerns

Other concerns with the bill were also pointed out by Dr. Thomas Shieh, a local OB-GYN and president of the Guam Medical Association.

According to a letter Shieh sent to political leaders late last week, a provision in the bill which mandates that women must also be informed of the risks of carrying a child to full term may actually increase the number of abortions.

Calvo addressed this concern by stating that the bill, now law, provides women with thorough information on all issues concerning pregnancy and abortion. He does not agree that abortions will be encouraged by including information of the risks of carrying a child to term.

Tim Rohr, from the anti-abortion group "The Esperansa Project," said: “A lot of people still have no clue that abortions are happening on Guam or how many. We do average an abortion a day.” He stated that the group will remain vigilant until the governor releases the transmittal report and that the number of abortions points to a larger social problem on Guam.

Bill 52 also enacts penalties for clinics or physicians who violate the law. The violation of the law will be considered a misdemeanor.

Calvo originally introduced the bill in January 2011. Last week, the Legislature’s health committee reported out the bill and the governor requested a special session on it.

Abortion is legal on Guam as it is in the rest of the United States. In 32 states, pre-abortion counseling is required.