Some superstitious people consider the number 4 unlucky because it sounds like the word “death”
(死 pinyin sǐ) in Chinese.
What does this have to do with the RH Bill? Nothing. Unless you’re a congressman who’s desperate to delay interpellations because you’re afraid of a deciding vote.
Trivial Numbers
During yesterday’s interpellations, Rep. Roilo Golez argued that the RH Bill (HB 4244) will lead to misfortune. Why? Because according to Rep. Roilo — I’ll refer to him this way to avoid confusion with the other Rep. Golez — its bill number contains three of those unlucky fours.
It seems that anti-RH legislators are not content to violate secularism. With legislators like Rep. Roilo, we might have to amend our constitution with a clause calling for separation of superstition and state.
Rep. Roilo’s fascination for numbers continued when he questioned why an earlier version of the bill changed to HB 96 from HB 3. At first, I didn’t know the reason he was so hung up on this trivial fact. Then I remembered that he threw reason out the door the moment he brought up numerology. I suspect that he simply prefers 3 because it’s considered a lucky number. (Regarding HB 96, although 9 is lucky, 6 isn’t.)
It would be interesting to know what Rep. Roilo thinks of Rep. Pablo Garcia’s bill: Hormonal Contraceptives Regulation Act of 2011. The bill aims to regulate the sale and advertising of birth control pills. This is a bill that Rep. Roilo would agree with, except for one detail: the bill is numbered 4482. Will he be against it because of those two unlucky fours? Or maybe the bad luck is mitigated by the lucky 8 and 2?
But hold on for a second, Rep. Roilo. It’s not OK to import foreign ideas from the US (family planning and population development), but it’s OK to import foreign ideas from Rome (Humanae Vitae) and China (numerology)? What’s the criteria for importing ideas?
Numbers that Count
I hope Rep. Roilo — or any of the other anti-RH legislators — doesn’t foray into numerology again. If they want to talk about numbers, there are many figures and statistics that truly deserve to be discussed. For Rep. Roilo’s sake, here are four:
ONE: 71% — the percentage of Catholic respondents who favor the RH Bill (8% are not, the rest are undecided) (SWS)
Even if these anti-RH representatives ignore people with different beliefs, who exactly are they representing? It seems they’re content to represent the 8% composed of the CBCP, Pro-Life Philippines, and their cohorts.
TWO: 11 — the number of women in the Philippines who die daily from maternal complications (Likhaan)
You’d think they’d have a sense of urgency with so many lives on the line — lives that are not merely potential but actual. While legislators are still busy debating about when life begins, it’s clear to the families left motherless when life as they know it ends.
THREE: 500,000 — the number of abortions that could be prevented if the RH Bill becomes law (Likhaan)
Countries that have an increased rate of effective contraceptive use have a decreased number of induced abortions. It’s been estimated that half a million abortions can be prevented by an RH policy. Are the anti-RH really pro-life?
FOUR: X Pesos — the cost in taxpayers’ money wasted whenever religion, superstition, and other tangents are discussed in Congress
Anti-RH legislators argue that the government lacks funds to implement the RH Bill. Yet they waste taxpayer money by discussing anything — Communism, Catholicism, conspiracies — other than what’s actually proposed by the RH Bill.
The Third Interpellator
After Rep. Roilo, there are as many as 36 interpellators left to go. That’s potentially 36 more hours of discussing religious interpretations, imperialist plots, and of course, Chinese numerology.
But let’s humor him and give numerology a chance. Out of the original list of 38 interpellators, Rep. Roilo was originally interpellator no. 3 — a lucky number. But when Pacquiao unexpectedly took Garcia’s slot, Rep. Roilo was bumped to no. 4 — the same unlucky number he argued against simply because of what it sounds like.
Some might think he got the number he deserves. But I disagree. Considering his tendency to inflate the importance of what words sound like, no. 3 suited him perfectly. For Roilo truly is a third.
[…] Whether divorce and responsible parenthood is actually anti-Filipino remains to be seen, I just hope that the debate on devorce will at least remain civil (no name calling and mud slinging) and logical (no one using numerology to argue why a bill shouldn’t be passed, yes this happened). […]
..astig..pupwede na rin palang magcongress ang mga manghuhula at feng shui experts..hahaha..
..pinatunayan lamang ni cong. golez na kailangan nga ng rh bill..para sa mga mapamahiin at hindi gumagamit ng utak na mga tao..
Can I accuse Golez of Idolatry: Though Shall Not Commit Idolatry
In the Bible there is only one number that is considered taboo and that is 666. For such a devout "Catholic" his devotion to Chinese superstition other than what is accepted by the Vatican is a sin.
dont you notice his name can looks like 666 –
Roilo LO looks like a 6 in script
Golez – G looks like a 6 and le looks like another 6
Wait a minute a 6 + 6 + 6 = 666
OMFG!!! He is a SATANIST!
If somebody as intelligent as Golez (wasn't he a west point graduate) can waste our time with all these nonsense, then either he's too blinded by his misplaced faith or the anti group has really ran out of silly objections and are now left with Inanities!
wow pwede na rin palang maging congressman si madame auring
Red, as awesome as Likhaan is, I think we should give the credit where it's due: http://reproductiverights.org/en/forsakenlives
But to be fair, Likhaan is doing a good job disseminating the information from research like this.
And btw, the figure is 560,000 not just half a million.
Clearly, Golez must also want to ban calculators from schools, because you can spell out 80085 with them.
Nation, the terror known as 708708 must be stopped! (I'm 90% sure this need not be mentioned, but read it upside-down…)
May I call out the Chewbacca defense?
The RH Bill should not be passed as Chewbacca is a Wookie. Wookie's do not practice RH, therefore in the interpolations and assertations of superfluous numerology, Feng Shui and In the name of God Amighty, Chewbacca says no to the RH bill.
Thank you!
You try that, and I will counter with a Mr. T defense.
"With legislators like Rep. Roilo, we might have to amend our constitution with a clause calling for separation of superstition and state."
We already have that. It's called "the separation of Church and State."
<But hold on for a second, Rep. Roilo. It’s not OK to import foreign ideas from the US (family planning and population development), but it’s OK to import foreign ideas from Rome (Humanae Vitae) and China (numerology)? What’s the criteria for importing ideas?>
How about Christianity, Roman Catholicism, the Philippine system of government, and Forever Living?
Sadly, real life is weirder than anything The Onion or Mosquito press can dream up.
Remember, Golez was the same guy who challenged that Chinese journalist Chip Tsao to a fist-fight a while back because he was offended by a article Chip wrote, not realizing that it was, in fact, a satirical piece.
To quote GMA New's article:
"Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez on Wednesday dared HK Magazine columnist Chip Tsao to one round in the boxing ring despite the latter's apology for a commentary that depicted the Philippines as a "nation of servants" unworthy of claiming the Spratlys from China.
Golez, who was the "undefeated brigade boxing champion for four straight years in the United States Naval Academy," said Tsao further insulted Filipinos' intelligence by trying to justify his article by saying being a servant is "good" and that "we are all servants to God."
Pacquiao, Golez, and now Lito David… what is the connection between these anti-RH guys and punching others in the face?
It has less to do with boxing, and more to do with their inability to act like proper adults.
Dude, I practice boxing and arnis, but I'd think it would be royally stupid to challenge somebody to a physical fight if I lost an intellectual debate, or was personally offended. People like Golez dishonor the martial art he claims to practice.
legislative debates, may numerology….tsk tsk tsk:S
WOW I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A JOKE!
this is just plain disturbing…