PHNO-HL: AQUINO'S RH BILL ENDORSEMENT AN OPEN WAR ON CHURCH - BISHOPS

AQUINO'S RH BILL ENDORSEMENT AN OPEN WAR ON
CHURCH - BISHOPS

[PHOTO -Lipa Archbishop
Ramon Arguelles. (southernluzoninquirer.com
photo)]
MANILA, JULY
27, 2012 (INQUIRER) By Philip C. Tubeza -
It's now open war.
Members of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) on Tuesday denounced President Benigno Aquino's decision to push for the
passage of the reproductive health (RH) bill during his State of the Nation
Address (Sona) on Monday.
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said the President's open endorsement of the
bill during his Sona was a declaration of "open war" against the Catholic
Church.
"Aquino declared an open war, a head-on collision against us and against the
Catholic Church. So terrible, so blatantly Aquino missed the point," Arguelles
said in an interview.
"We in the prolife movements are so disgusted with these vigorous
pronouncements in support of responsible parenthood," he added.
Arguelles dismissed the President's contention that slowing down the
country's population growth would benefit the nation. In contrast, the prelate
said, the country's booming population would drive its economy.
Real face
"(Aquino's) selective 'matuwid na daan (straight path)' program shows its
real face … Time is essential. Our camp must act now," he said.
Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, member of the CBCP Permanent Council, said Mr.
Aquino's statement was a "bad omen" for the Catholic Church and was undermining
its moral authority.
"Aquino is undermining the moral force of the Catholic Church. We have to
move our people to vigilance and teach more our congressmen about the dangers of
the RH bill," Bastes said.
"Poverty, not population, must be eliminated. The more contented people are
in the Philippines, the greater is our nation. Don't kill people," he added.

Voice of the people
Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros urged President Aquino to listen to the voice of
the people, whom he noted are majority Catholic.
"Aquino has credited the Filipino people as his bosses for the changes made
by his administration. Now he is imposing on the Filipino people his own stand
on the RH bill. He should listen to the voice of the majority of our people who
are Catholics," Oliveros said.
But deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Mr. Aquino was
pushing for the consolidated version of the population management bills pending
in the House of Representatives.
"Remember that the President did submit as a priority measure in the 112th
[legislative-executive development advisory council] meeting the draft bill of
the administration which has been consolidated with the six pending bills in
Congress," Valte told a news briefing in Malacañang.
No hurry
Despite the President's endorsement of the RH bill, the Senate leadership is
in no hurry to pass the controversial bill.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile described the President's statement as a
"desire," while Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said it was a "very wise move"
but intended more as a piece of "advice."
"No pressure. The President knows that all legislation is open to debate,"
Enrile told reporters.
"That is a statement of his desire and to the extent that we can accommodate
it, we will accommodate it. But if not, then we say, 'we beg your pardon."
Sotto said the Senate was under no pressure to pass the RH bill simply
because the President advocated responsible parenthood in his Sona.
"Everybody is in favor of responsible parenthood … that's why the proposal of
the President is good," he said.
Senator Pia Cayetano, a cosponsor of the RH bill, said she was "not
surprised" that Enrile and Sotto were not feeling any pressure.
"They don't want it anyway," she said. "I will pressure them simply by doing
what is my job, which is to make sure that the bill will go through the
process." With Norman Bordadora and Christian V. Esguerra




Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




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