Perhaps the most controversial bill Lagman has authored is House Bill 17, or the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, which has been judged by critics as anti-life and pro-abortion.
Lagman dismissed these allegations, saying the bill strengthens family life by giving parents an informed choice in planning their families. Still, opponents of the Bill, notably the Catholic Church, dispute these claims.
While Belmonte boasts of confidence in winning the Speakership, he only has the support of 44 of 122 LP congressional candidates in Congress – a disadvantage in the battle for political allies, and thus technically reducing its mathematical chances.
However, more than a battle of gaining a seat in the House, there lies a battle of numbers in the race for the Speakership, when party ties and other political relationships are put to a test.