Peace in our country, particularly in the strife-torn Mindanao, is of course the aspiration of all Filipinos. We are all looking forward to an era when our countrymen in that troubled part of our land will finally enjoy a more lasting orderly life free from violence and destruction. The signing of a peace accord and the approval of a basic law for its implementation may really be necessary for this purpose. But more important than these documents are the good will and sincerity of those involved to comply with them.
It is therefore quite vital that the drafting and drawing up of these documents are done openly and publicly with the participation not only of a panel or a council formed for the purpose. In fact, all our countrymen, not only the people in Mindanao, should be adequately informed about the details and the contents of these documents. They should know what and how things will work out in achieving a lasting and real peace in that region.
Unfortunately however, like in other measures and actions it has done during the past four years of its rule, this administration has not been as open and transparent in this regard. Meetings are done behind closed doors and discussions are carried out clandestinely. The public is informed only of the results after everything has supposedly been threshed out. In fact the initial tryst between P-Noy and the MILF leader that led to the series of peace talks here was held in Japan and was announced only after it was all over.
So as of now, only a few people know about or are interested in the contents of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed last March 27, 2014. The same is true with the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) embodying the substance and spirit of the CAB drafted by a Transition Commission and recently submitted to Congress. Even before Congress starts its deliberation on this proposed law, doubts have already been raised about the constitutionality of some of its provisions. More controversial here is the exclusion of the provision on decommissioning of MILF firearms which was stipulated in the previous document. Indeed peace mainly consists of the cessation of hostilities. So how can this be achieved if the firearms will not be surrendered?
With these latest developments, there is really no more doubt that the distinguishing trademark of this administration is its stubborn belief that as long as its purpose or intention is supposedly good it can use any means to attain that purpose. The legality or constitutionality of its actions to achieve its ends is merely secondary. This appears to be happening now with respect to the BBL. It looks like we are about to encounter another blitzkrieg and clandestine operation on the part of this administration with respect to the passage of the Basic Bangsamoro Law. P-Noy has already called for a majority caucus to insure their support and speedy passage of the draft law. Its legal feasibility or constitutionality is not that important. More important is that “we can prove to entire world that we can achieve what was once thought to be impossible.”
This is the same mentality of P-Noy and his administration with respect to other things he wanted Congress to do for him. Worth mentioning here again is the RH law. Some of its provisions have been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court for violating the provisions protecting life and family. Since P-Noy has been convinced by foreign lobbyist that the RH law will supposedly solve our poverty problem through population control, he pressured Congress to pass the law despite the doubtful constitutionality of some of its provisions.
The worse part here is that even after the SC has already declared with finality that some of its provisions are invalid, his administration seems to ignore the decision and to implement the law including those declared invalid.
I have previously pointed out that the Department of Health (DOH) has been using and promoting contraceptives even without the promulgation of Law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations and without the FDA’s certification that they are safe, legal and non-abortifacient. Recent reports again came out that the DOH is implementing a “Family Planning Implant” in the form of a toothpick that will be placed under the woman’s skin. According to DOH Undersecretary Janette Garin, this implant prevents pregnancy by preventing ovaries from releasing eggs for up to three years. While the implant is inserted, a woman will not have her menstrual flow. Actually, this implant started to be used here some five years ago but it is quite expensive costing between P8,000 to P12,000. But now the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the foremost advocate and supporter of abortion worldwide, will subsidize implants here up to 2016 for 600,000 women.
The DOH is thus using another contraceptive despite absence of any certification from the FDA that it is not abortifacient. In all probability FDA cannot make such declaration because most implants have already been found as abortifacients as they change the lining of the uterus which prevent the implantation of a live fetus.
Another alarming development here is the current petition filed on August 28, 2014 by the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) led by Dra. Sylvia Claudio, one of the staunch supporters of the RH law, for justified abortion to be included in the Code of Crimes being drafted by the Department of Justice. At the height of the debates and discussion on the RH law, criticisms have been hurled against the Pro-life camp for arguing that RH will lead to abortion. RH supporters, mostly the naive ones, were the first ones to counter that there is no provision for abortion anywhere in the bill, and they criticized the pro-life camp for sowing misinformation.
But this petition now mentions that the following are justified abortions:
(1) abortion is performed after implantation of fertilized ovum arising from rape or incest, (2) continuation of pregnancy endangers life of pregnant woman or seriously impairs her physical, mental or emotional health, and (3) sonogram or other diagnostic test show the fetus suffers from incurable disease or serious deformity.
WGNRR is a group that works for the legalization of abortion in countries that outlaw them, and they have been active way before the RH law was passed. Now here they are for signatures, for vital support for abortions to be justified here. How can anyone justify murdering a defenseless human being? Where is P-Noy leading us with his daang matuwid?
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Email: attyjosesison@gmail.com