PDP-Laban sides with Church on RH bill

Friday, June 24, 2011

THE Reproductive Health (RH) bill gained new critics Friday as leaders of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) announced it will try to block approval of the bill.

In a press statement, Jose De Venecia III, PDP-Laban secretary general, said the government should stay out of the bedroom.

"The government's job is to provide basic services to the people and not interfere on what should be personal matters practicing birth control is strictly between a married couple and God," he said.

De Venecia and party president Aquilino Pimentel III announced their opposition to the RH bills pending in Congress. They said that as Catholics, they "could not in all
conscience" support the bill.

"In everything that our lawmakers do, each and every one of them should never forget: God is watching you," De Venecia said, adding Catholics cannot ignore Church teachings "about the sanctity of life."

Pimentel, for his part, said the government should not promote contraceptives since they are commercial products.

"Ano sila sinusuwerte?," Pimentel said, referring to manufacturers and importers of condoms, IUDs, and oral contraceptives.

"The RH Bill transcends party politics. In its present form, it is simply wrong," he said.

The proposed distribution of contraceptives has been a subject of heated debate.

The Catholic Church opposes the bill, saying some forms of artificial contraception can be used to induce abortions.

In a pastoral letter, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said "human life is the most sacred physical gift with which God endows a human being. Placing artificial obstacles to prevent human life from being formed and being born most certainly contradicts this fundamental truth of human life."

Advocates of the bill want Catholic beliefs kept out of the debates, citing the separation of Church and State. Senator Pia Cayetano, who has filed a committee report on the Senate version of the bill said "just because we are a predominantly Catholic country doesn't mean we can impose Catholic dogma on every Filipino."

But the CBCP has objected "to the non-consideration of moral principles, the bedrock of law, in legislative discussions of bills that are intended for the good of individuals and for the common good."

In her sponsorship speech earlier this month, Cayetano said the that the bill will let people choose which method of contraception is "suitable to his needs and his religious beliefs."

She added the bill will not impose an ideal family size. She said couples have the right to choose how many children to have.

PDP-Laban has three seats in the House of Representatives: Sultan Kudarat Representative Raden Sakaluran and Makati Representatives Mar-Len Abigail Binay and Monique Lagdameo. It has no seats at the Senate.

(Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex)