RH Bill in danger: CBCP attacks, Malacanang retreats

It could have been the calls for civil disobedience. Or it could have been the threats to abort RH talks. Maybe it was the lengthy pastoral letter rejecting the RH Bill. Or maybe it was the mandatory prayer campaign (oratio imperata) launched yesterday against the RH Bill. But whatever it was that the CBCP did to threaten Malacanang, it worked.

“Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said on Monday that the Palace has not yet completed its dialog with Catholic bishops on the responsible parenthood bill it has been drafting and has decided not to present the measure yet to congressional leaders in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council meeting scheduled for February 28.” (emphasis mine)

Does this mean that all the CBCP needs to do to stop the RH Bill is to delay their dialogue with Malacanang? They’ve already met twice, which is two more meetings than is necessary. The RH Bill (or some form of it) has been stuck in Congress for more than a decade. All the arguments for and against it are already known. What is left to talk about? And haven’t they made it clear that their position on contraception is non-negotiable?

And to further distance Malcanang from the RH Bill, Lacierda said that “the Palace had nothing to do with the consolidated responsible parenthood bill now set for plenary debates in the House of Representatives.”

This month, CBCP celebrates Pro-Life month. Several activities are planned, but the first event alone is ominous: “a mass on February 1 at 12:15 at the North Wing of the House of Representatives to be presided by ECFL chairman and Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto.” With the mass in Congress, the recent statement from Malacanang, and  another secret meeting scheduled on February 28, things aren’t looking good for the RH Bill.

All of this is bad news, especially after our recent victories in the battle to pass the RH Bill. But we must keep fighting. And our fight continues tomorrow:

Freethinkers assemble! The Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) is asking for our help in mobilizing people to attend the House Appropriations Committee Hearing on the RH Bill to show our congress people the support that the RH Bill has.

Date: February 8, 2011 (Tuesday)
Time: 0830-1130
Where: House of Representatives (Batasang Pambansa) (Google Map), Ramon V. Mitra Hall, Rooms 7 & 8
Attire: White or purple, no political messages please!

There is another hearing in the Senate on the same day, it would be awesome if you can are able to attend both hearings.

Date: February 8, 2011 (Tuesday)
Time: 1300
Where: Senate of the Philippines (Google Map), Senator Padilla Room, 2nd Floor
Attire: White or purple, no political messages please!

RSVP on the facebook event.

27 comments

  1. From what I've seen these past few months, it's anti-RH nimrods like you who enjoy distorting data and outright lying to push your agenda. I've had one dumkoff try to tie tossing babies in trashcans to supporting RH, for example.
    https://filipinofreethinkers.org/2010/10/02/logic-

    …while "Dr." Ligaya Acosta of the Pro-Life side attempted to claim that an RH program would somehow lead to illiteracy.
    https://filipinofreethinkers.org/2011/01/18/read-e

    Her other gems:
    # Excessive masturbation is wrong.
    # RH leads to the Filipino youth’s poor English literacy since the English reading materials available are on sex and reproductive health, which they should not have access to.
    # There is no need for the RH Bill because what we need has been in effect for a while now.
    # If 11 women die everyday because of pregnancy-related complications, why do we claim to be overpopulated?

    You tell me who's got a distorted mind, you fucking moron. And I will continue to call you a fucking moron until you get a clue.

    Fucking moron.

    [they just couldn't understand why the Church strongly opposes the passage of the RH Bill. ]

    I spent four years in college studying Catholic Theology, two of it focusing human sexuality, and the sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

    Don't assume we didn't do our homework, cupcake.

    It's more than I can say for idiot like you who resort to sweeping generalizations and accuse us of having distorted thoughts.

  2. angelo reyes is condemn by the church and won't be given a catholic burial says this fucking asshole Yniguez. The Reyes family is still in shock and here comes this idiot yniguez. this is the reason why i left the church, because of this asshole.

    • I think the pastoral letter made regime-change threats and the government panicked. Here's how they delivered it:

      "Moral Choices at the Crossroads — at EDSA I and Now
      Twenty five years ago in 1986 we Catholic Bishops made a prophetic moral judgment on political leadership. With this prophetic declaration we believe that we somehow significantly helped open the door for EDSA I and a window of political integrity.
      Today we come to a new national crossroads and we now have to make a similar moral choice."

  3. We do understand why the Church strongly opposes the passage of the RH Bill. The answer can be stated in 2 words: Humanae Vitae. But is that a valid reason as far as the State is concerned? As Fr. Ranhilio Aquino wrote in Manila Standard Today:

    ‎"Is it the moral teaching of the Church that couples that can have children ought to have children? If it is, what would the premises of such an argument be?

    What I have long been batting for is honest-to-goodness work by our Catholic professors of philosophy and theology to come up with discourse in the public sphere that will be convincing on the unacceptability of artificial contraception, and if we cannot come up with any such argument, then let us humbly admit that our opposition is sectarian in nature and credal in origin. Then we will also realize what we can and cannot rightfully demand of the State."
    http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideOpinion….

  4. Oh no. Shouldn't someone inform Gabriela about this? Come on, it's all about CBCP this, CBCP that, sobrang nakikialam na sila, when it's not even remotely associated with them, the RH Bill is all about HER. :(( This is sad. Very, very sad.

  5. I think the CBCP realizes that this RH-Bill will decide the Future of the Philippines.
    The CBCP may be Pro-Life but are they Pro-Poor(less fortunate)?

    The CBCP is the one creating and maintaining the great division between upper class
    and the lower class citizens since Spanish times. For Christians it's ok if they are poor in this life because they will be rewarded in the after-life or heaven

  6. The CBCP's pastoral letter had the bishops' interpretation of the word of God as a "fundamental truth" and their #1 point. There can be no meaningful negotiation with people who simply want to legislate Humanae Vitae.

    "(1) Human life is the most sacred physical gift with which God, the author of life, 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." http://cbcpnews.com/?q=node/14472

    • The Church allows "natural" means of preventing conception such as abstinence. What is the difference between using "natural" means vs artificial means when both are "fundamentally" intended to prevent human life from being formed? On another front, how does the vow of celibacy by nuns and priests help in any way accomplish the promotion of the formation of human life?

      • These are religious beliefs from the Vatican, and local bishops should be honest enough to admit they could never negotiate these away. They are too low in the totem pole. They are not saying this upfront, so dialogue is in bad faith and futile.

        I have no interest nor energy understanding their natural/artificial hairsplitting. To me, the important point is they admit that their ideas are faith-based, in which case they have no right to impose these on others, nor to expect government to do legislation based on their beliefs. In the pastoral statement, they were selling their opposition as based on our Constitution, but not even halfway, they struck with the God-based "fundamental truth" quoted above. Lying in print…they must think we are all meek and stupid.

          • It's if the intercourse still resulted in conception/pregnancy. In the same way, artificial contraception is also open to the transmission of human life if the contraceptive failed.

          • You are all completely right, but this openness to life concept is a pile of sanctimonious drivel. Don't play their game. If you don't want to have kids, that's your decision. Why do you have to risk involving a living breathing person every time you happen to enjoy your body? To force a helpless child to live in an environment that never planned on taking care of them, that's what's wrong, and this self-righteous pontificating about how sex is pure and holy and whatever medieval buzzword you can pull out of Catholic atavism.

        • ALL artificial contraceptives have failure rates–a certain % of users get pregnant. Thus, the argument "openness to the transmission of human life" should apply to these methods too, if the RCC would just be honest.

Leave a reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here