City to give away condoms; doctor warns it’s ‘ill-advised’

DESPITE opposition from religious groups, the Cebu City Health Department (CHD) will distribute thousands of condoms from the Department of Health (DOH) to city residents, particularly commercial sex workers (CSWs).

Dr. Ilya Tac-an, the department’s STD, HIV and Aids coordinator, said that aside from those working in night spots, individuals diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) will also be given the condoms.

Click here for Election 2010 updates

Tac-an, in her report this week to the City Council, said at least 74 HIV cases were reported in the city for January and February this year.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña, for his part, believes condoms can help control the spread of STDs and is willing to allocate funds to buy more supplies.

“Yeah, I’m okay with that. I will not force the people to use it, but it should be made available,” Osmeña said. He said that although he is a practicing Catholic, he believes in freedom of religion and freedom from religion.

“No religion should tell me what to do. Even God says you can do what you want. Why does the church tell us what to do?” Osmeña added.

But a pro-life advocate warned the mayor about the possible implications should he push through with his plan for City Hall to distribute condoms.

When sought for reaction, Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer of the Task Force for Family and Life said Osmeña’s plan may draw the ire of the Catholic Church, particularly the Archdiocese of Cebu.

“What’s alarming about (Osmena’s plan) is that it’s tantamount to a direct challenge to the teachings of the Catholic Church,” said Bullecer.

Bullecer, who until recently served as chairman of the Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board under Osmeña’s administration, said the mayor’s proposal is ill-advised, as giving away free condoms to the public will be “counter-productive” to the Cebu City Government’s goal to eradicate HIV.

“The mayor, in some aspects, is ill-advised on the real situation and solution to the HIV-Aids problem in the city,” said Bullecer.

Should Osmeña push through with his proposal, the Catholic Church, through its laity, may resort to campaigning against him in the May 10 elections, Bullecer added.

Osmena, who is on his third consecutive term as mayor, is running for the congressional seat in the Cebu City South District.

But the mayor said he doesn’t care if promoting condom use will affect his candidacy, saying he has a responsibility to give people the choice.

Tac-an also said condom use is only part of the three-point campaign of the government to fight HIV/Aids.

The ABC campaign means A for “abstinence from sex,” B for “be faithful to your partner” and C for “condom use.”

“Peligro man gud tong dunay mga STD nga manakod sa uban mao nga atong hatagan ug condom ug ang uban pud nga muari mangayo nato (We trying to prevent STD contamination),” Tac-an said.

DOH gave the City Health Department last month boxes containing 50,000 condoms.

But Bullecer believes the condom distribution is a form of discrimination against women in bars.

“By openly distributing and promoting condoms, you’re branding all these women working in the bars that they are prostitutes,” Bullecer said.