The Why’s and the How’s

SECTION 2 of House Bill 4244 says in its Declaration of Policy that “The State recognizes and guarantees the exercise of universal basic human right to reproductive health by all person, particularly of parents, couples and women, consistent with their religious convictions, cultural beliefs and demands of responsible parenthood.

Toward this end, there shall be no discrimination against any person on grounds of sex, age, religion, sexual orientation (emphasis mine), disabilities, political affiliation and ethnicity.” This is the original form of the document. And then there was a proposed amendment that removed the phrase “sexual orientation”; PNoy himself proposed the amendment. So while he backs the bill, he backs out from supporting the LGBT community. The most recent version of this bill though, has those words put back in. Why was it removed and then put back? Is our president afraid of what more the bishops will say about him? Why could it be wrong that the LGBT community enjoys this universal basic human right? (Emphasis mine). Why, is the LGBT community presenting such a huge threat that people fear to accept that we share the same rights? Why all the fear? The religious are saying that the object of this bill is to kill the Filipino people, so I cannot imagine what they say to the LGBT community’s protection being included in the bill. And then while Habagat was wreaking havoc on most of the Philippines, the religious (cannot bring myself to call them ‘faithful’) come up with this cockamamie ‘intention of reparation’. It said in certain internet post that a day before Ondoy hit, Congress set rules for the debates on the RH Bill; and then a day after PNoy invited House Reps to urge them to vote for the RH Bill the unnamed Habagat hit. Why does this have to be done? Why make God appear as if he is so ruthless that he would strike a country with so much rain because of a progressive RH Bill? Why paint your Creator that way? While people were drowning, while people stayed on their roofs, going hungry, getting wet, fearing that their lives would end, fearing that they will not be safe as long as it is raining, these people would say that God is punishing us for an RH Bill?

“Huwag natin isisi sa ulan ang pag-baha. Resulta lamang ito ng malaon nating pagpapabaya.

May balanseng ugnayan at disenyo ang Kalikasan. Gaano man kadami ang pagbuhos ng tubig ulan, makakayanan itong saluhin ng lupa. Matagal na itong babala. Ang mensahe ay nakalutang sa tubig baha.”- Raffy Tejada (Let us not blame the rain for the floods. This is the result of our neglect. Nature has a balance in its relationship and design. No matter how much rain pours, the ground can absorb all of it. This warning had been long-standing. The message floats in flood-waters.)

There are things that need to be done to change for the better. Blaming the RH Bill will not solve problems. Everyone has to look at what they have contributing so far; if they have been contributing to the problem by the way they lead and make choices or if they have been contributing solutions to the problems. “How?” is a good question to ask. How can we make things better? How can we stop the flooding? How can we fix the garbage problem? How can we make lives better? While asking the ‘hows’ the answers will come and then Action must follow. That makes more sense to me than lashing out and blaming and getting afraid of people because they are different.

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