What's happening with the RH campaign?

Here’s a bit of a timeline that few people must have failed to notice. Last Aug. 4, a Saturday, Cebu held a powerful anti-RH Rally-cum-procession from the Fuente Osmeña to the Cathedral for a solemn mass. It was an event that was happening all over the country… notably at the EDSA Shrine, Bacolod, Davao, Baguio and Iloilo…where thousands participated.

Here in Cebu, the figure collated by The Freeman was around 60,000 devotees, which in my book was proof that we Cebuanos have accepted Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma as our spiritual leader and shepherd of our flock after the retirement of his Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

The following Monday, Aug. 6, Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III held a luncheon with the members of Congress which many pro-RH congressmen attended. Rumors have it that, those congressmen were given priority or an increase in their respective Priority Development Assistance Program (PDAF), a.k.a. pork barrel. Whether that is true or not, that evening, the House of Representatives voted via viva voce a resolution to end all the debates on the Reproductive Health (RH) bill and the “ayes” won the day. Victory for the RH bill was eminent… more so that Congress who promised to have this vote on Tuesday, Aug. 7, decided to do the vote that evening.

But anti-RH advocates in Congress demanded a new roll-call as there were many empty chairs in the Plenary Hall, so when the roll-call was called, somehow in the midst of this call, the live feed of ABS-CBN suddenly stopped. What didn’t stop though were the rains that were starting to pour into Metro Manila. By morning of Tuesday, Aug.7, reports of flooding in Metro Manila was already the breaking news.

Call it coincidental that Aug.7 is 8:7 and if you opened your Bible to Genesis 8:7, you will read about Noah releasing a pigeon, but the pigeon returned, which meant that the waters had not receded. If you have a 365 Days of the Lord Daily Bible passages, the reading on Aug.7 was about our Lord Jesus Christ walking on water. Is it coincidence or was God telling the Filipino people something? The waters indeed did not recede for the entire week, which is why Congress could not go on session.

Let me remind you that when the rain came, there were no typhoons nor were there any low-pressure areas affecting the country at that time. Also on Aug. 8, Rep. Salvador Escudero, the father of Sen. Chiz Escudero died (or was it the following day?) and the mother of Rep. Edcel Lagman also died. These are two legislators who are staunchly pro-RH. Coincidence?

On the following week when Congress resumed, I noticed that the RH Bill issue wasn’t calendared? Could it be that the pro-RH no longer had the numbers? I would like to believe so. Then on Saturday, Aug. 18, the plane bearing DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo crashed into the sea off Masbate. It took three full days to search for the wreckage and when he was found, that entire week became a week of mourning for the Aquino government and nothing literally moved in the nation’s capital.

Tomorrow is supposed to be the final day or the last chance for the pro-RH to push for their bill, come hell or high water. But from how things are going, it seems that the RH bill is headed towards oblivion. Therefore, Arch. Palma was right in revealing that we had the numbers in Congress to block the RH Bill, otherwise, they would have rammed this into our throats.

Mind you, I do not call this a victory of those of us who fought against the RH bill… rather, it was at time that our Lord Jesus Christ showed to the Filipino people that he is in charge of our lives… and that without him… we can do nothing! God has shown his majesty that when the time comes, he will protect the unborn only if we fought hard for them. Praise be the Lord!

Finally, allow me to quote my good friend, who wrote this piece in his Facebook account a couple of weeks ago.

“Anti-Drugs, Anti-RH Bill. Gov’t funds spent for condoms & pills and its campaign for its use; 2011 DOH GAA Special Provision: Allocation for Family Health, including Family Planning; P3,019,111 Billion (P2 Billion for purchase of reproductive health commodities, 800 million for its use. Population Commission: P291,523,000 million (291 million).

For 2012: DOH GAA: Item III, Operations: Family planning and responsible parenthood: P2,279.573,000 billion (2.2 billion), Population Commission P291, 523,000 million (291 million). A.O. 2012-0009 July 27,2012: authorize purchase of 500 million pesos for Family Planning Goods and Services. And How much for DRUG Awareness? PDEA GAA 2012, item for Drug Awareness campaign P11,829,000 million. That is eleven million pesos compared to the billions spent for condoms and pills. What do you thing? Are you happy with the current state of the Drug Problem in our country? - Atty. Paul Oaminal.”

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