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Date Posted: 01:12:26 11/28/12 Wed
Author: IMRD
Subject: Nov 27, 2012 news

http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/headlines/item/7401-%E2%80%98catholic%E2%80%99-vote-a-%E2%80%98myth-unproved%E2%80%99-%E2%80%94-rh-proponents

‘Catholic’ vote a ‘myth, unproved’ — RH proponents
• Written by Tribune
• Tuesday, 27 November 2012 00:00
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The proponents of the reproductive health (RH) bill in both chambers of Congress have slammed the latest campaign by some Catholic cle-rics against the con-troversial measure.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman yesterday said RH advocates should not fear a negative Catholic vote because the alleged backlash has “no empirical basis.”
“Fear has always been used by the clergy as an instrument of repression and reprisal like fear of eternal damnation, fear of excommunication, fear of offending religious minsters, fear of contraceptives as abortifacients and carcinogenic, and fear of a demographic winter,” he said in a statement.
Lagman added priests at the local parishes do not articulate with the same ferocity anti-RH tirades of some bishops because they are more aware of the ill-effects of the population problem on their parishioners.
He also stressed that if there is such a thing as a “Catholic” vote, it would be supportive of the enactment of the RH bill.
Lagman said Catholics have consistently favored the enactment of the RH bill as shown by surveys since October of 2008.
“Surveys show that 71 percent of Catholics favor the enactment of the RH bill (Third Quarter 2008 Social Weather Survey, 16 October 2008). The same survey reveals that the percentage of those in favor of the bill is even higher among weekly church-going Catholics at 73 percent, which means that the pulpit as a platform for anti-RH homilies is a failure,” he added.
The lawmaker said even in the predominantly Catholic communities like Cebu, Manila and Parañaque City, respondents in various surveys are overwhelmingly pro-RH.
“A huge number of Cebuanos at 76 percent support the passage of the RH bill (SWS, April 2009); in Parañaque, 84 percent of the respondents are in favor of the bill (SWS, March 2009); and in Manila, a whopping 86 percent of those surveyed support the enactment of the bill into law (February, 2009).”
Lawmakers from Cebu, Manila and Parañaque have been in the forefront of oppositors to the controversial RH bill.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has earlier acknowledged that the proposed RH bill has been watered down, but gave no sign it will accept the measure.
The CBCP maintained that the birth control measure will remain unacceptable to the Church.
“Despite some amendments, this latest version of the House Bill 4244 is not acceptable because of its bad provisions,” said Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes in a statement.
“We would like to reiterate that our aim in objecting against the HB4244 is to protect not only the good of Catholics but the good of all, Catholics and non-Catholics,” he said.
Reyes is the chairman of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL), which is at the forefront of the Church’s campaign against the RH bill.
Reyes said the provision on contraceptives is the exact reason they are against the RH bill.
Lagman’s statement is the exact opposite of what the Church is saying.
“In the staunchly Catholic province of Bohol, majority of the respondents at 53 percent are in favor of the RH bill compared to only 17 percent who are against it, according to a survey conducted by Holy Name University, a leading Catholic university in Bohol,” the Albay lawmaker said.
Citing another survey, Lagman said Pulse Asia reports that 93 percent of Filipinos consider it important to have the ability to plan their families and 82 percent believe government should inform couples about all methods of family planning.
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, for her part, said the threat to punish Congress members who will vote for the RH bill constitutes “borderline violation of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state.”
“The separation principle includes what is called the establishment clause, as well as the free exercise clause. The general guide is that the government should observe neutrality,” she stressed.
Santiago said as a politician, she does not believe there is such thing as a Catholic vote.
“In the past, the Catholic Church campaigned against Sen. Juan Flavier because as Health secretary, he freely distributed condoms. But Flavier won the elections. Thus, the so-called Catholic vote is a political myth,” she added.
The lawmaker said of all the major churches in the Philippines, only the Catholic Church is against the RH measure. The rest are pro-RH, namely, Iglesia ni Cristo, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, National Council of Churches in the Philippines, Interfaith Partnership for the Promotion of Responsible Parenthood, and the Assembly of Darul-Iftah of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Santiago also cited certain surveys showing that a big majority of Filipinos are pro-RH.
But another prelate also yesterday expressed support to the call made by Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles and Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal to campaign against candidates who will vote for the enactment of the controversial measure.
“I strongly support that. This is an important issue and this is a very good test whether the Philippines is a Catholic country or not,” Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines permanent council member Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes said. Gerry Baldo and Pat C. Santos

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2012/11/27/catholic-votes-against-the-rh-bill/

Catholic votes against the RH bill
By Emil Jurado | Posted on Nov. 27, 2012 at 12:01am | 880 views
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Here’s one for the books.
Senator Antonio Trillanes has traveled out of the country at least 26 times—16 of them in and out of China for the year 2012 alone. This makes him the most-traveled senator ever. Even now, Trillanes is in Brazil for one thing or another.
Senate records also show that most of his travels, if not all, is at the expense of the people. “Join the Senate and see the world” seems to be Trillanes’ motto.
***
Catholic bishops and priests are warning re-electionists and congressional wannabes who are pushing for the passage of the reproductive health bill. The Catholic vote will work against them. This is a fact.
Sure, there’s no such thing as a Catholic vote when taken as a whole, like during a presidential election. But when bishops and priests take the pulpits against particular politicians, then that is the kiss of death.
Of course the Catholic Church cannot and should not endorse candidates in next year’s polls. That would blur the separation of Church and State. But, nothing can stop bishops and priests from telling the faithful not to vote for those who savage Catholic dogma. It’s the obligation of the Church to make the faithful aware of the teachings— and any artificial form of contraception violates teachings.
Anti-life and RH bill advocates must heed this warning.
***
The latest poll survey of the race to the Senate, conducted by the Bombo Radyo Web site in the first week of November, is significant in many ways.
There’s re-electionist Loren Legarda overtaking Senator Chiz Escudero at the top spot. Legarda has 75 percent while Chiz has 68 percent. Another re-electionist, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, is third at 66 percent.
Rep. Jack Ponce Enrile has 62 percent; Rep. Cynthia Villar 61 percent; Senator Koko Pimentel 56 percent; Rep. JV Ejercito 51 percent; Nancy Binay 48 percent; Senator Sonny Trilanes 48 percent; former Senator Migz Zubiri, 47 percent; and another former Senator, Dick Gordon, 46 percent.
Coming close to the Magic 12 are Rep. Sonny Angara at 40 percent; former Senator Jamby Madrigal at 32 percent; and former Senator Jun Magsaysay at 30 percent.
The poll shows us the phenomenal rise of Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, wife of Senator Manny Villar, to No. 5, even beating Pimentel and Honasan and former President Joseph Estrada’s son by San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez, JV Ejercito.
Likewise significant is the entry as No. 9 of the daughter of Vice President Jojo Binay, Nancy. This means that the Binay brand counts a lot.
What I find interesting is that in earlier surveys, Jun Magsaysay was well within the winning circle. But it seems that young people can no longer relate to the Magsaysay name.
Akbayan’s Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel and Bayan Muna’s Teddy Casiño are far behind. I think this tells us that people have become apathetic to so-called militants.
In any case, with the elections six months away, many things can still change.
Note that the Aquino administration has all the clout and resources needed to make a difference.
The United Nationalist Alliance presents an alternative to the Liberal Party-Nacionalista Party-Nationalist People’s Coalition, but at the end of the day, it’s still the will of the people that would prevail.
This early, though, I think I can say that the UNA will control the Senate in 2013.
***
Another interesting development is the Commission on Audit’s report on government salaries and allowances, covering officials of the government-owned and controlled corporations and their subsidiaries, and members of the Judiciary, congressmen and Cabinet secretaries.
Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco tops them all, earning as much as P10,679,620.76 for the year 2011 alone. Second spot went to Development Bank of the Philippines chief operating officer Edgardo Garcia who took home P9,834,548.76 cum allowances and bonuses. Coming close behind are Government Service Insurance System trustees and executives.
What is interesting to me about the COA report is the fact that people in government continue to receive perks and benefits in the form of allowances and bonuses when Malacañang has already placed a cap on them. Have we not been made aware of the abuses in the past? Daang matuwid, my foot!
Another interesting point is that nothing much is said about the perks and benefits members of Congress get. My gulay, with P250 million pork barrel for senators and P75 million of pork barrel for members of the House of Representatives, and with all the kickbacks that members of Congress are getting from the so-called Priority Development Allocation Fund, I still believe that members of Congress continue to take home more than what appears in the books.
Some are still smarter than others.
***
Media—print, radio and television —are gearing up for a bonanza this coming 2013 polls. Candidates are already buying pages and airtime in preparation for the allowable campaign period. Even now, senatorial candidates are seen endorsing something or another and pursuing their advocacies.
For example, the rise of Mrs. Cynthia Villar in the latest surveys is due to her “Hanep Buhay” advocacy, which the people in the rural areas can relate to. They say she is spending P500 million for media, mostly radio and television.
***
Willie Revillame plans to move his Will Time Big Time game show to a noontime slot, still with TV5. He believes that he can get more sponsors and viewers at noontime when his Pioneer, Mandaluyong building is finished this year.
Watch out, Eat Bulaga!

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