News outlets report on the Philippine Supreme Court’s passage of a controversial family planning law.

Agence France-Presse: Philippine top court approves controversial birth control law
“Millions of poor people in the Philippines will have access to free contraceptives for the first time after the nation’s top court on Tuesday approved a deeply controversial birth control law…” (Gutierrez, 4/8).

Al Jazeera: Philippine court upholds birth control law
“The Philippine Supreme Court has struck down a legal challenge to a controversial birth control law that supporters say could transform the lives of millions of poor Filipinos, despite bitter opposition from the country’s powerful Roman Catholic Church…” (4/8).

Associated Press: Philippine court rules family planning law legal
“The Philippine Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a family planning law is constitutional, allowing the government to provide reproductive health care services primarily to the country’s poor despite strong opposition to the law from the Roman Catholic Church…” (4/8).

BBC News: Philippine top court defies church to back birth control
“The Supreme Court in the Philippines has approved a birth control law, in a defeat for the Catholic Church. The law requires government health centers to distribute free condoms and contraceptive pills. The court had deferred implementation after the law’s passage in December 2012 after church groups questioned its constitutionality…” (4/8).

Philippine Star: SC waters down RH Law
“The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the constitutionality of the controversial Responsible Parenthood and the Reproductive Health (RH) Law, but struck down some of the major provisions. Voting unanimously, the magistrates upheld the law’s provisions granting the Department of Health to procure and distribute contraceptives as well as provide RH education to adolescents. The high court, however, declared unconstitutional part of Section 7 requiring private health facilities and medical centers owned by religious groups to provide family planning methods…” (Diola, 4/8).

Reuters: Philippine court upholds contraceptive law as constitutional
“The Philippines Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a family planning law but ruled out provisions to punish health workers who do not inform people about contraceptive options…” (4/8).

Wall Street Journal: Philippine Supreme Court Upholds Most of Reproductive Health Law
“The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld most of a controversial reproductive health law, handing the government a victory in its effort to provide greater public access to birth control and family planning education in the heavily Catholic country…” (Larano, 4/8).