MANILA, Philippines - In the Philippine setting particularly, matters involving life and death polarize groups, pitting one against the other. The more literate sit down to discuss repercussions till kingdom come. The man on the street would rather solve the problem quickly through strength of fist or balisong.
It is interesting that the government has been embroiled in two such issues recently — the RH bill in Congress, and the death penalty. It is even more interesting to find the Pinoy duplicity at work when it comes to emotional issues. In the case of the drug mules who died in China by lethal injection, our government was expected to intercede in what was clearly a criminal transgression in another country. There was no way they would have been spared, despite the moro-moros (Read: Diplomatic astuteness on both sides) to placate distraught but completely misinformed families.
In a country where majority are nominally Catholic or Christian, the Church is historically obligated to do its part as guardian of morals, separation of Church and State notwithstanding.
If in the China death sentence the government was seen as the would-be savior, in the RH bill the government is the villain. The government is pro-death, and the Church is pro-life. This is why a record 40,000 filled the Luneta grounds during the recent Church organized anti-RH bill rally. Had the church led a protest rally against the impending death of the drug mules, we believe it could have garnered an even larger crowd. Happily, the Church chose not to meddle in the China issue.
Regards the RH bill, we see rough sailing in Congress, possibly for the wrong emotional implications. Our personal encounter with the anti-RH movement began when we accompanied pro-life advocate TV host-sports personality Christine Jacob-Sandejas to a briefing on the pertinent details of the bill.
From that afternoon’s session, what we retained from the avalanche of information is that the RH bill is patterned almost verbatim to the American law; that it allows youngsters to have an abortion without need of parental consent; that workers in the clinic are under pain of losing their jobs and licenses should they object. Sex education starting in grade school is also a must. But the biggest impact of the bill is the virtual deprivation of parental rights over their children. Endorsements are also said to be made by people who have not even read the bill.
We go to the blogs on Google for help. Rochelle Sy Chua quoted Gibo Teodoro who said everyone got so involved with how to pass the bill they forgot about the actual problem and how to fix it. Paul Farol was more concerned with whether government money would go into preventing pregnancies or the spread of AIDS. Frederick Tomas opined that with most Filipino Catholics, there has to be a way to reconcile both pro and anti. The most unruffled opinion came from Jadedsecret who shared there was nothing pro-life about unwanted children begging on the streets, and that she was instead “pro-quality of life.”
That still hasn’t convinced us either way. Neither have we read the bill. And neither will the great unwashed should they know how to read. They have better things to do like forage for a living.
We get a blow-by-blow account of the Luneta rally from Couples for Christ member Danny Rayos del Sol who took our photos. It was a huge success with Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile, El Shaddai’s Brother Mike Velarde, archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel and wife Bing, lawyer Jose Sison, lay evangelist Bo Sanchez, renewed Christian Ansel Beluso, and Christine in attendance. World champion boxer Manny Pacquiao spoke in a recorded message that the fight against corruption, not the usage of condoms is the solution to poverty.
The rally was attended by a multi-sectoral group. Christine, her five children in tow asserted that sex education is a function of family, objecting to the seven years of sex education in the proposed bill. We agree that each child is unique, only the parent can tell when the child is ready for sex education. This is not a matter that can be legislated.
Reformed promiscuous gay-turned-Christian Ansel Beluso, who left the gay life to get married gave his testimony. A man of 21 swore he would preserve his chastity until marriage. A woman with five past abortions was told it would be dangerous to become pregnant again. She ignored the warnings, gave birth to a daughter she brought with her to the rally.
The advocates of pro and con are getting hotter by the day. High level representatives from United Nations agencies recently pledged support to Philippine poverty alleviation measures. Interior & Local Government Secretary Jess Robredo went after barangays in Muntinlupa that prohibited sale of contraceptives without prescription. The Democratic Socialist Women’s group of pro-RH supporters decried Malacañang’s continuing consultations with the Catholic hierarchy stating it would only delay passage of the bill. Some bishops, however, agreed to favor sex education accompanied by values formation. There will still be more hemming and hawing before the bill becomes law.
Meantime, popular Intramuros historian tour guide Carlos Celdran caught media attention by disrupting Mass at the Manila Cathedral with an RH protest sign of DAMASO, the abusive friar in Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere. Later, Celdran was hauled off to jail, returned to tear down anti-RH posters, and came back to confess at the Cathedral, his first he says in 11 years. However, he insisted, he would still be pro RH bill. Obviously, it had nothing to do with his religion. In virtual agreement, Conrado de Quiros wrote in his column that the Church’s vigorous role in the RH controversy brings us back to the times of Rizal. It is testament to our backwardness, he says. It is those who support the bill who are pro-life, not the opposite, he argues.
While we seem to be pointing out to the Church as responsible for our life versus death dilemmas, let us examine how our Catholic friends, Mexico and Spain fare in that department. Mexico abolished capital punishment in 2005, but now is rethinking a reinstatement following crimes linked to drug cartels and syndicates. Spain alongside 99 percent of European countries has abolished the death penalty.
Mexico City had approved legalized abortion during first three months of pregnancy in 2007, and allowed same sex marriage as well since 2010. Others outside of the Federal district can journey to the city and avail of the same. In Spain, same-sex marriage has been legal since 2005, while abortion was legalized as early as 1985. Clearly, it has nothing to do with our faith. Maybe it’s time for us to read the bill.
(E-mail comments to bibsycarballo@yahoo.com)