Finally, the Archers have spoken:
Good Citizenship Statement on RH Bill
Reject the RH-RP BILL!
It is Anti-life and Anti-Filipino!
It goes against the Spirit of EDSA!
We, members of the Good Citizenship Movement, representing thousands of faculty and students, government employees, businessmen, parents, women and urban poor, reject the proposed House Bill on reproductive health and responsible parenthood. It is unhealthy, anti-life, irresponsible and anti Filipino!
The Bill is Unhealthy and Anti-Life
If passed, the Bill would make contraceptives more accessible and encourage their use. But medical research has shown conclusively that contraceptives have harmful effects for women who use them regularly. Some are even carcinogenic.
Proponents of the Bill also claim that widespread use of condoms will reduce the incidence of HIV-AIDS. Nothing is farther from the truth! Just look at the experience of Thailand where AIDS has spread greatly since they started flooding their people with condoms!
Another deceptive claim of the Bill’s proponents is that more contraceptive use will reduce unwanted pregnancies. The truth is that contraceptive use gives a sense of “false security”, opening the way to more sexual activity and more unwanted pregnancies!
But the most deceptive and damning claim of the Bill is that it is against abortion! Yet it provides for free services to women for post-abortion trauma. It facilitates and encourages the use of contraceptives that are abortifacient! It violates the right to life of the unborn Filipino! It is for abortion!
The Bill assumes that a woman’s right to choose whether to abort is equal to the unborn’s right to life. This is not consistent with the natural moral law which makes the right to life superior to any other human right, including a woman’s right to choose to abort. In a word, a woman’s freedom to choose ends where a child’s right to life begins!
The Bill is Irresponsible and Unconstitutional
The right and responsibility to educate children belongs primarily to the parents. This applies to sex education. If the bill is passed, it would take away this right and responsibility and give it to the schools and to mass media! This is not “responsible parenthood”! It is a clear violation of parents’ right to choose the manner and vehicle for giving sex education to their child! It is therefore irresponsible and unconstitutional!
The Bill is Anti-Filipino
Underlying the Bill is the claim that overpopulation causes poverty, and therefore, Filipino population must be controlled! Most economists and political scientists would refute this! Empirical research shows otherwise.
We assert that the Philippines is not overpopulated and population is not correlated to poverty!
We have more than enough land and food for our people. Our problem is that our cities and urban centers are too densely populated, simply because there are not enough jobs in the countryside. The solution is for government and business to decentralize their economic programs and empower the provinces. More support to agriculture and fishery, and more tax revenues to local governments can achieve this.
Furthermore, let us not make the same mistake of Singapore and the industrialized West. Their negative population growth now drives them to pay couples and give them incentives to have children! No, the problem is not population per se. The problem is to have better economic policies and better education programs for our people. That will put an end to our poverty!
The Bill is Anti-EDSA
The Spirit of EDSA was simply this: a united people won back its freedom peacefully! Thus, a Spirit of Unity, Freedom and Peace restored our pride and dignity!
The proposed RH-RP Bill is unnecessarily dividing our people. It is pitting Catholics against non-Catholics, the Catholic Church against the government. It does not promote unity!
The Bill violates the right to life of the aborted unborn Filipinos, and their potential to be born and live as free citizens in a free country. Let us not deprive them of that right!
Finally, the Filipino wants and deserves to live peacefully with everyone. This Bill is causing sincere and well-intentioned Filipinos to fight against each other.
It is a needless provocation. Let us reject it!
An Ardent Call
We therefore ardently call on our Congress Representatives to reject this Bill! We call on our Senators not to let it prosper! Most of all, we call on our beloved President Benigno Aquino III to remain steadfast in his decision not to support the Bill! The greater common good of our country demands nothing less!
Br. Rolando Dizon FSC
Founder and Chairman
Good Citizenship Movement
De La Salle University,Manila
February 26, 2011
EDSA Silver Anniversary
