Church's campaign against condoms hit

CEBU, Philippines - Partido ng Manggagawa reproached the Catholic Church’s campaign for the banning of condom advertisements contending that beyond its anti-women stance, the Catholic Church is also showing its disregard for the Filipinos’ rights, including the right to correct information.

 PM general secretary Judy Ann Miranda said that the Catholic Church should accept the fact that it cannot and should impose its beliefs on people in the guise of eternal salvation.

She said that a pro-life group and the Catholic Church allegedly tries to muddle the issue by broadcasting that condoms are ineffective against HIV-AIDS, following a failure to gather support in its position against Department of Health’s condom distribution.

Miranda belied the Catholic Church’s statements saying, “Thou shall not lie and deceive the people.”

On Monday, during the celebration of Women’s Day, PM will hold a picket at the CBCP to ask the bishops to “bless” a set of condoms that the group will distribute to the people.

“Our appeal for the bishops to bless the condoms is a gesture of conciliation to unite on the issue of reproductive health in the interests of women and their families,” Miranda said in a press statement sent to The FREEMAN.

The labor partylist group added that 81 percent of Filipinos are Catholics and the remaining 19 percent are not.

“Laws should respect the beliefs of others, religious beliefs, Catholic beliefs for that matter, should not be forced on people. It is high time that the Catholic Church refrain from using its influence to legislate and enact religious-related practices and beliefs,” Miranda added. —Micthelle L. Palaubsanon/WAB   (FREEMAN NEWS)