False and misleading

Now it is getting clearer. Nothing much has change in the way our government is run by those in power. This administration’s claim of being entirely different from the past corrupt administration is all hype. Our president now may really be honest in the sense that he has not supposedly “stolen” a single centavo from the government coffers, but there are still so many similarities between his administration and the past administration.

One such similarity is in the use of the tyranny of numbers to ram thru its desired objectives even if there are still some unsettled issues regarding them. And this was graphically illustrated when PNoy marshaled his minions in the Lower House of Congress to end the debate on the RH bill by treacherously disregarding their own calendar and deciding to stop the debate on the bill one day ahead of the schedule, through the hasty and hazy “viva voce voting. Why are those who shouted “aye” afraid of being individually identified as in favor of the bill?

They are afraid obviously because their tactic is quite unfair much more so because they know very well that after so many years of debate, they have not explained and satisfactorily answered the most important point raised regarding this bill: that it is originally drafted and instigated by the US with the cooperation of the UN through its agency UNFPA and by private foreign entities which are known advocates of abortion particularly the IPPF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; that the phrase “reproductive health” used by these advocates which drafted the original version of the bill really means abortion or will lead to abortion; that these lobbyists purposely used the phrase only to disguise their real purpose especially in counties like the Philippines where abortion is not allowed.

The only explanation of the sponsors of the bill and other members of the Lower House who shouted “aye” is mere denial since according to them the bill expressly provides that abortion is illegal and not allowed. This is apparently a mere subterfuge as the bill likewise provides for universal access to all forms of reproductive health care services, devices and products including contraceptive pills already proven to directly cause abortion or lead to abortion and other fatal disease like cancer and high blood pressure. The “letter” of the bill is manifestly contrary to its “spirit” as it even uses the terms “medically safe” contraceptives when there is no such thing because all contraceptives have already been medically shown to be dangerous to the life and health of the unborn and the mother.

And this is where another similarity between the present and past administration lies. Both use misleading tactics in order to achieve their objectives. In the present case, this administration even borrowed the phrase “responsible parenthood” and adopted it as part of the bill’s title obviously to remove further objections to the bill. In using such phrase however, the present administration has corrupted its true meaning. “Responsible parenthood” is directly incongruous to the main features of the bill advocating contraception and prescribing western type or module of sex education to school children. This is not a mere allegation. It is already proven in countries where contraception is supported by the State and where sex education is given to school children. In those countries, more specifically the USA, 500 million babies have already been killed through abortion because of the use of contraceptives; sexually transmissible diseases, breast cancer and other serious ailments of women have become widespread; minors have become immoral and promiscuous as the number of teenage pregnancies continues to rise; innumerable families have been broken and have become dysfunctional with so many single mothers, fatherless children; and marital infidelities abound eventually leading to divorce. Does our government want all these things to happen here under this Reproductive Health cum Responsible Parenthood bill?

To be sure, “Responsible Parenthood” really originated from the Church and its meaning definitely excludes the use of contraception. But even without dragging the Church into this issue and attacking its stand against contraception, the phrase is also found in our constitution specifically in Section 3 (1) Article XV which provides as follows: “The State shall defend the right of the spouses to found a family in accordance with their religious convictions and the demands of responsible parenthood”.

So, in defining “responsible parenthood” as used here, it must be read in conjunction with the other provisions of the constitution. And these are: Section 12, Article II which provides 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. The natural right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the government. Section 1, Art XV which provides that “The State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its total development. And Section 2, which provides that: “Marriage, as an inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State”.

Responsible parenthood within the contemplation of our constitution therefore (1) protects the life of the mother and of the unborn from conception; (2) protects the marriage as an inviolable social institution; (3) protects the sanctity of the family as a basic autonomous social institution and strengthen its solidarity; and (4) recognizes the natural right and duty of parents in the rearing of their children.

The RH bill with all its consequences as shown above definitely violates the foregoing provisions of the constitution that go into the definition of Responsible parenthood. Using such phrase in the title of the bill is therefore false, misleading and a form of dishonesty.

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