RH Bill and basic principles?

THE Reproductive Health Bill is no longer in the Philippine Congress as the legislators have decided to put off all debates regarding such bill and to forward it to the Higher House. This time it goes out of the Lower House with a new christened name the Responsible Parenthood Bill.

What is responsible Parenthood? "If we consider the relevant physical, economic, psychological and social conditions, responsible parenthood is exercised by those who prudently and generously decide to have a large family or by those who, for serious reasons and with due respect for the moral law, choose not to have children for the time being or even for an indeterminate period” (Humanae Vitae).

This would involve the decision of the parents for birth spacing without any external interventions. Once there will already be interventions as to the decision of the couple the term will already fall under the consideration of “Contraception,” for it promotes contraceptive mentality.

The President of the Republic of the Philippines came out with his statement of principles regarding the issue of the RH Bill. He clearly states things that are of his belief. These are what he stated in the Official Gazette of the Republic: “First, I am against abortion. Second, I am in favor of giving couples the right to choose how best to manage their families so that in the end, their welfare and that of their children are best served. Third, the State must respect each individual’s right to follow his or her conscience and religious convictions on matters and issues pertaining to the unity of the family and the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death. Fourth, in a situation where couples, especially the poor and disadvantaged ones, are in no position to make an informed judgment, the State has the responsibility to so provide. And fifth, in the range of options and information provided to couples, natural family planning and modern methods shall be presented as equally available.”

My congratulations to the President for coming out with these stands. However, no matter what is written or spoken by a government who had previously espoused the contraceptive mentality and were under the dictates of the multinational companies, nobody believes in what they say regarding the issue. Thus, I strongly disagree with the passage of a law that is anti-life, unconstitutional and anti-people. It is also irrational and non-philosophical.

Allow me now to expose some basic principles that are being attacked by the RH or RP Bill. These are the Principle of Life; the principle of stewardship, the principle of bodily integrity; the principle of identity and individuality; the principle of human rights; the principle of human relationships and the principle of justice, charity and common good.

The principle of life states that “all beings posses the right to live.” There are provisions of the RP Bill or RH bill that will destroy life. It destroys the life of the egg cell, the sperm cell and the fetus as well. There are those that would even deprive the life of the mother. The provisions on contraceptives and pro-choice destroy this principle.

The principle of stewardship states that we are not owners of anything in this world. We are stewards and in fact, we are renting everything. We have no right to take away any life form. We are here to help them develop their full potential. The provision on reproductive health, abortion and artificial contraception are the ones that contradict this principle.

The principle of bodily integrity states that every part of the body has its specific function in relation to the whole. Sterilization, ligation, vasectomy and other surgical forms will surely destroy the principle of bodily integrity.

The principle of identity and individuality states that “what is is.” There are provisions in the bill that would destroy the identity of beings. It will alter a lot of nature. The Principle of human rights is greatly violated in this bill. The right of the child and the parents are suppressed by government’s intervention to the private lives of the people.

The principle of human relationship is violated. This is happening now. It has greatly divided leaders of the government and has also divided some of the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. This is a divisive move that will really destroy human relationships. On the personal note, human relationships are destroyed by indiscriminate extra and pre-marital relationships.

Lastly, the bill disrespects our notion of justice, charity and common good.

With all these arguments, I hope and pray that we will vigilantly pray and watch our legislators as they put the country in the map if immorality and destruction.

St. Ezekiel Moreno, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, Blesseds John Paul II and Pedro Calungsod, Sir Faraon Lopez, pray for us.

There will be a walk for Healing and Mass in honor of St. Ezekiel Moreno on August 19 at UNO-R. The walk will commence at the provincial Capitol Lagoon.