0 Pressuring, Menacing, Lying, Terrorizing, and Name-Calling

Spread the good word! Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), is finally getting their sorry asses out of Reproductive Health Bill’s way, saying that “there’s no reason to further undertake a serious study/dialogue in House Bill 4244 with the administration as proposed by President Aquino himself.”

RH Bill advocates, don’t rejoice just yet however, because CBCP, writhing at the pangs of desperation is now threatening to withdraw support to the Aquino administration should it continue sanctioning the RH Bill.

CBCP claims that the provisions of the said bill are trying to “establish a mindset and a value-system that are secularist, materialistic, individualistic and hedonistic in the guise of development and modernity.” Jo Imbong, CBCP’s lawyer, also told in a recent ANC interview that “besides mass actions against the administration’s agenda, there’s also a legal action to be taken in the event of a passage.”

Now, for the commentary section…

Pressuring. Is it right for CBCP to force the Aquino administration to withdraw its stance and support on the RH bill?

Menacing. Is it right for CBCP to stand in the way of legislators, to defend THEIR “moral codes,” at the expense of our national development?

Lying. Is is right for CBCP to manipulate the truth behind the statistics concerning the RH Bill and mislead the public?

Terrorizing. Is it right for CBCP to resort to using scare tactics on their own people of a “possible” excommunication for advocating change for the better?

Name-calling. On what grounds does the CBCP have the right to judge and attack anybody who expresses a different opinion regarding an issue?

4 10 Conclusions on the Harapan Debate "RH Bill: Ipasa o Ibasura?"

I have just seen the "Harapan" debate hosted by Karen Davila and Julius Babao regarding the Reproductive Health Bill last night (May 8, 10:30 pm) on ABS-CBN and ANC and it was a frustrating watch.

On the affirmative side (Pro RH-Bill):

Rep. Janette Garin and Rep. Edcel Lagman, Rodrigo Tano, Carlos Celdran, Esperanza Cabral, Beth Angsioco, and Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel

On the negative side (Anti RH-Bill):

Rep. Anthony Golez, Rep. Roilo Golez, Dr. Ligaya Acosta, Fr. Melvin Castro, Atty. Jo Imbong, and Joey Lina.

The language used on this post is strong. Reader discretion is advised.

1. Most politicians are good liars. A perfect example would be Rep. Roilo Golez who is recognized as one of best debaters in the House of Representatives. I think, however, that that talent remained hidden all-throughout the “Harapan” debate. 
2. RH-Bill opponents love lashing out insults. The devoutly Catholic tagged the RH-Bill anti-life, anti-family, pro-abortion and so on. They will also call you a demon, should you support the RH-Bill. 
3. Clergymen want more babies. But they are exempted from ever fucking you. Sorry sister, but no matter how good father looks, you can never, ever, fuck him. Because fucking is evil and most of them only bother with cute little boys anyway.
4. Respect for cultural diversity is an option. Philippines is predominantly Catholic, so we should single out opinions that doesn’t agree with the Church’s teachings. Catholic Scriptures should count as reference materials to answer the big questions such as - when does life begin?
5. Social awareness is optional. People who oppose the RH-Bill casts a blind eye to the unquestionable suffering at our metropolitan areas. Why don’ they try to expand their views as to take into consideration what the marginalized thinks?
6. They care about the zygote. Nobody from those who opposed the RH-Bill, however, gives a damn to help the families who don’t have adequate resources to support their families.
7. Simple solutions are the best solutions. Sex education should be levied to parents because parents enjoy teaching their kids about boobs, vaginas, and penises. Parents also love to elaborate about oral or anal sex or fucking positions for that matter should their children dare ask. Also, not having sex is so trending right now, sexual intercourse has never ever happened before marriage in the past. 
8. Boast before arguing. You must brag of your academic feats such as being a U.P. professor or student before making your claim. That will help lend credibility to the things that you say.
9. More people are tantamount to prosperity and development. Because there’ll be less competition and more food for you if you have, let’s say, ten brothers and ten sisters. Joey Lina and the rest of the RH-Bill, stop working, you can adopt all the street children so you can be richer.
10. Amending is flip-flopping. You must come up with a perfect bill the first time around, or else, there is no room for improvement, you are wrong, and the bill should be abolished.

9 Sowing Salt

On a press interview last saturday, February 16, regarding the RH Bill, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said: “Ang simbahan walang talo yan. Maniwala kayo, maski ano gawin nila." (The Church has never lost. Believe me, whatever they do)

He's partially correct I suppose, since as far as I remember, never heard of a cleric being criminally charged for sexually assaulting anyone. nope. never.

Imagine Rosales saying: “Crazy, crazy, crazy!” again. 

The higher one soars, the harder one falls; I just hope he is not sowing salt on this one.

19 Reproductive Health Opponents Bashes Again

A village in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City ratified an ordinance penalizing any person who advertises, promotes, sells or distributes for free any kind of abortifacient.

Condom purchases are illegal without a doctor’s prescription. Village officials claim that abortifacients according to the ordinance including condoms, IUD’s and birth control pills “undermine the solidarity of families by promoting premarital sex, giving rise to more fatherless children, more single mothers, more poverty, and more abortions when the contraceptives fail to prevent conception, and by causing a decline of legitimate marriages.” In addition to this, health advocates in general are also prohibited in providing sex education to students without parental consent.

People who violate the village’s ordinance provisions will be fined as much as P5,000 for the first offense and more for subsequent offenses. Recurrent violators will be also imprisoned for not less than a month but not more than six months and will also be held civilly liable to the offended party.

Barangay chairman Alfred Xerez-Burgos, Jr.; Kagawad Joanna Caluglug, Alice Bacani, Maria Carmen Reyes, Ma. Soledad Tugade, Mariano Manas Jr., Apolinario delos Santos III, and Giancarlo Nazario; and Sangguniang Kabataan chairman Juan Enrico Parfan sanctioned this ordinance.

Barangay Ayala Alabang spokesperson Atty. Luis Sison cited Pharmacy Practice Regulation Act or Republic Act 5921 of 1969, which says that "no drug or chemical product or device capable of provoking abortion or preventing conception... shall be delivered or sold to any person without a proper prescription by a duly licensed physician."

Atty. Sison also said that the barangay council passed the ordinance because they wanted to be proactive in their pro-life stance. Saying that the "St. James the Great Parish was the one who became very active in fighting the passing into law of the RH (Reproductive Health) bill, and this movement in the parish gained momentum."

The barangay officials claim that they are setting a “good example” for other barangays to follow when what they just did is a classic example of abuse of authority by victimizing the people’s liberty in line with their religious interests.

These people are seriously missing the point of condom use which is to prevent unwanted pregnancy which in the end reduces the frequency illegal abortions. It is a basic principle of liberty that no one should be forcibly prevented from acting in any way he chooses provided his acts are not invasive of the free acts of others. And this ordinance violates both our constitutional and human rights concerning liberty and it is depressing that the legislature system is once again encumbered and corrupted by collectivism and secular morality.

10 The Philippine Reproductive Health Bill, a Clear-Cut Solution

CBCP (Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines) is against sex education, all forms of contraceptions and family planning programs.

They started their official statement regarding their stance against the promotion of the RH (Reproductive Health) Bill with an excerpt from the Constitution of the Philippines Art. II, Section 11 that: "The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights." Followed by a follow-through from Art. II, Section 12 stating that: "The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception."

CBCP claims that they voice out the "the fundamental ideals and aspirations of the Filipino people." they say that this is "Far from being simply a Catholic issue, the RH bill is a major attack on authentic human values and on Filipino cultural values regarding human life that all of us have cherished since time immemorial... the RH Bill does not respect the moral sense that is central to Filipino cultures."

According to a October 2008 SWS (Social Weather Stations) survey, 76% Filipinos want family planning education for youth and 71% Filipinos favor the passage of the RH Bill. This is the real aspiration of the Filipino people. If CBCP really speaks for the Filipino people, they better start paying attention to information like this don't you think? CBCP is silently brandishing their morality as the "Filipino morality" even if the "Filipino morality" is almost impossible to identify because of the extreme diversity of our ethnicity.

Now, is there really any collision between life and death when the RH Bill's sole aim is to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care? Let us examine the essential components of the RH Bill No. 5043:

(1) Reproductive health education including but not limited to counseling on the full range of legal and medically-safe family planning methods including surgical methods;

(2) Maternal, pre-natal and post-natal education, care and services;

(3) Promotion of breastfeeding;

(4) Promotion of male involvement, participation and responsibility in reproductive health as well as other reproductive health concerns of men;

(5) Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications; and

(6) Provision of information and services addressing the reproductive health needs of the poor, senior citizens, women in prostitution, differently-abled persons, and women and children in war AND crisis situations.

CBCP is against sex education, all forms of contraceptions and family planning programs. Therefore they are against: 1) Empowering the public choice by instilling awareness through public education. 2) Advertent control of the spread of venereal diseases and illegal abortions through providing public access to methodologies that are safe, economic, and effective. Both of which are clearly advocated in the essential components of the RH Bill.

Overpopulation is grossly related with poverty. According to the NSO or National Statistics Office' mid-2010 census of the Philippines, our country is populated by some 94,013,200 people, ranking us twelfth among the most populated countries in the world. While many may argue whether our country is overpopulated or not, it is self-explanatory that our government doesn't have enough resources to appropriate for the already existing casualties. That's why we should undertake active steps to combat rapid population growth which will cause  serious problems in the future.

The intentions of the RH Bill is a clear-cut solution to many of our national problems. That's why it should be ratified by all means necessary, in-order to foster the betterment of our nation. The main assailants of this bill, the clergymen should try to be frank about their position because they are definitely disguising their motives regarding this matter.