Population control ‘RH Bill’ fails to pass in Philippines
Despite tsunami warnings, thousands rally against ‘reproductive health’ bill in Philippines
Critics of Philippines population control bill could be jailed for six months
Filipino bishops ‘willing to be imprisoned’ to protest anti-life bill
MANILA, Philippines, March 28, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - After an organized campaign of rallies, prayer vigils, and education initiatives, pro-lifers in the Philippines are celebrating the fact that the Filipino government’s controversial “reproductive health” bill failed to pass this spring by the end of the legislative session in the House of Representatives.
However, they are warning that the bill is not dead, and will likely be taken up in the next session, which begins in May.
“All of the wealthy NGOs who saw this as their best chance to pass the RH bill are discouraged that they still don’t have a majority in this pro-life, pro-family country,” said Rene Bullecer, MD, country director for Human Life International (HLI) Philippines. “Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent, but they have not been able to overcome the power of truth and of prayer. Still, we know that they will not give up and that their pockets are bottomless, so we still have lots of work to do before the next session begins.”
Various incarnations of the RH bill, which promotes population control through abortifacient contraception and sterilization, have been advanced for over a decade through a persistent, aggressive, and well-funded campaign by Filipino legislators and activists. The bill has been heavily promoted recently by Western non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who were furiously campaigning for its passage during “National Women’s Month.”
But the bill, which has also been called the “Responsible Parenthood” bill, has been denounced unanimously by every pro-life and pro-family organization in the Philippines. Pro-lifers have organized numerous large marches across the country, including one in Manila last month that drew over 50,000.
The pro-life response has been led by the nation’s influential Catholic bishops, who have urged the government to promote moral measures such as natural family planning. They have warned that the bill will enshrine a contraceptive mentality that will eventually lead to abortion.
Amidst threats that pro-lifers could be imprisoned for not obeying the bill’s dictates, some bishops have even called for “civil disobedience” should the bill pass.
“The arrogance of sterile Western elites trying to tell Filipinos how to be ‘responsible parents’ is truly stunning,” said Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carámbula, interim president of Human Life International. “But Christians are united against the bill. The Catholic Church is seeing strong leadership from its bishops and priests, and they are standing united with fellow Christians around the Philippines. They realize the mortal threat that the RH bill represents to their families and their future, and the more that people learn about it, the more vehemently they oppose it.”
“This is definitely a victory for life and family,” added Msgr. Barreiro. “But it is only temporary—it is not the end of the war. We and our partners will continue to grow the opposition to this destructive bill.”
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