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Date Posted: 22:36:45 12/12/12 Wed
Author: IMRD
Subject: Dec. 13, 2012 news

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/12/13/885488/anti-pro-rh-bill-demonstrators-march-congress

Anti-, pro-RH bill demonstrators march to Congress
By Janvic Mateo (The Philippine Star) | Updated December 13, 2012 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - Hundreds of demonstrators belonging to groups supporting and opposing the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill marched yesterday to the House of Representatives in Quezon City where lawmakers were expected to vote on the measure.
Activists wearing red shirts to symbolize the anti-RH bill movement held a procession to the Batasan Pambansa complex.
Chanting “Ibasura! Ibasura!” members of various pro-life groups joined anti-RH congressmen, bishops, and priests, attended the Mass at St. Peter’s Parish along Commonwealth Ave. then headed towards the Batasan Pambansa.
During his homily, Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles called on all Roman Catholic Filipinos to rally behind those who oppose the bill.
“There are evil ones who triumph because we are silent. People suffer because we don’t do anything. Let us not fail our people in this important moment in history. Let us make the pro-life movement triumph,” said Arguelles.
He also called on the people to pray for President Aquino and ask him “to please don’t dangle the pork barrel on our representatives.”
Arguelles also called on the congressmen to pray first before voting on the RH bill.
“Dear legislators, please don’t legislate something immoral,” said the archbishop. “The babies are real people… They are meant to be children of God.”
He said the money that will be used for the implementation of the bill once passed into law should instead be used to create more jobs and schools.
Among those who attended the Mass were anti-RH congressmen including Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, and Pangasinan Rep. Gina de Venecia.
Rodriguez said he believes that congressmen opposing the RH bill would all be guided by God when they vote on the measure.
Magsaysay expressed confidence that they have the numbers to block the passage of the bill.
Women workers assembled at the House of Representatives to push for the passage of the RH bill.
Judy Ann Miranda, Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) secretary-general, said women workers favor the RH bill.
“Contrary to the Catholic Church’s pronouncement that the House is railroading the passage of the RH bill, to the Filipino women especially the poor and marginalized, 14 years is too long a wait. Thousands have died while legislators wallow in fear of the Church’s ‘electoral blackmail.’ It is high time that legislators fulfill their duty to uphold women’s right to reproductive health,” Miranda said.
She hopes that more congressmen would represent the rights and interests of the people, especially women, and vote for the passage of the RH bill.
“Despite the odds, we will show our relentless support for this important legislation, and we sincerely hope that a majority of the legislators will say yes to the RH bill,” Miranda said.
Miranda said they are optimistic that congressmen would not succumb to the influence of the Catholic Church and heed its “ unreasonable demand.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle yesterday asked the legislators to listen to the appeals of the prelates and oppose the passage of the RH bill.
This was the message relayed by Tagle during yesterday’s celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the pro-life and the unborn child, in Makati City.
Coincidentally, the 55-year-old Tagle was celebrating his first year as archbishop of Manila.
Tagle asked the faithful to offer prayers for the legislators. “It was reported that today, members of the House of Representatives might cast their vote (on the RH bill). Let us pray. Let us pray for our representatives in Congress who would be discussing and making a decision on a bill whose effect would not only be felt today, but for years to come.” – With Mike Frialde, Mayen Jaymalin, Helen Flores, Eva Visperas


http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/12/13/885467/sws-more-pinoys-vote-pro-rh-senators

SWS: More Pinoys to vote for pro-RH senators
By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star) | Updated December 13, 2012 - 12:00am

Priests and members of various religious groups face off with supporters of the Reproductive Health bill outside the Batasan complex in Quezon City, where congressmen will vote on the controversial measure. BOY SANTOS
MANILA, Philippines - A recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed more Filipino adults will vote in the May 2013 elections for candidates who supported the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill.
The SWS national survey, conducted from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, found 33 percent of adults saying they will vote for a pro-RH senatorial candidate against nine percent who said they would choose an anti-RH individual.
The poll also found 57 percent of 1, 200 adult respondents saying that the RH issue is irrelevant in their selection of a candidate.
Three in 10 or 33 percent of respondents, meanwhile, said they would support a pro-RH congressional candidate while nine percent said otherwise.
More than half or 58 percent said the issue is irrelevant.
“As Congress makes a decision on the RH bill, the result of this opinion survey continues to prove the public support for the measure,” Benjamin de Leon, president of Forum for Family Planning and Development and commissioner of the Commission on Population, said.
“This survey, like all the other surveys done in the past, favors the passage of the RH bill,” De Leon said.
The House of Representatives was expected to vote on the population control measure yesterday.
The Forum, a staunch supporter of the bill, is confident that anti-RH representatives will honor the agreement.
A separate survey by the SWS, which was released last week, showed 64 percent of adolescents - 15 to 19 years old - in the national capital region are in favor of the bill versus 19 percent who are not in favor. The remaining 17 percent were undecided.
“The SWS surveys correct myths and help challenge the scare tactics of the Catholic hierarchy against our legislators and other politicians. For me, our surveys show that there is a Catholic vote in favor of the RH bill,” De Leon said.


http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/commentary/item/8051-just-for-the-record-%E2%80%98responsible-parenthood%E2%80%99

Just for the record: ‘Responsible Parenthood’
• Written by Archbishop Oscar V.Cruz
• Thursday, 13 December 2012 00:00
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Time and again, Malacañang has invoked the phrase “Responsible Parenthood” with either the lamentable wrong understanding thereof or the devious intention of deceiving those concerned with the plight of the people (population) of the Philippines.
While this particular issue about the pairing of responsibility and parenthood has been repeatedly addressed in and out of the country, it would not be really superfluous to once more take it into consideration though briefly — just for the record.
For a start, the phrase was formally invoked, expressly mentioned by the President himself on the occasion of his state of the nation address (Sona). It would not be hard to check this up.
And lately, it was again explicitly said by his principal spokesman on the occasion of the instruction given to congressmen to have the now both famous and infamous Reproductive Health (RH) bill voted upon as soon as possible. In the assumption that Malacañang does not simply know what it is talking about, it might be still proper and timely to take note of the following more signal observations.
First is the standing fact that the phrase “Responsible Parenthood” forwards an official Church teaching of long standing — categorically very much earlier than the recently seated administration.
The teaching is even enunciated in form of legislation by the 1983 Code of Canon Law, viz., that married couples should only have the number of children they can sufficiently provide for and give proper upbringing to (Cf. Canon 1055, par. 2 CIC). This is responsibility in parenthood.
Second is the Church doctrine that “Responsible Parenthood” is categorically anchored in the essence and import of “Natural Family Planning” which means: That the spouses as rational beings should plan their own family. That in planning their family, the said couples should observe the fertility and infertility periods of the wives as determined by no less than the law of nature itself. And that the same spouses wherefore should not violate natural law by artificially separating factual copulation from the possible conception of children.
Third is the elementary logic that “Responsible Parenthood” is precisely violated and undermined when spouses have recourse to the use of artificial contraceptive articles — not to mention the intrinsically censurable recourse to surgical mutilation such as male sterilization and female tubal ligation. Worse of them all is even recourse to deliberate abortion that does not simply prevent conception but actually destroys it once already a reality. Translation: Murder of the unborn.
How on earth could the RH bill be equated with “Responsible Parenthood” when it categorically abhors parenthood and promotes irresponsibility? Please!
(Reprinted with permission of Archbishop Emeritus Oscar V. Cruz, from www.ovc.blogspot.com)

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