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Monday, March 07, 2005
Mongaya: Women’s day
By Anol Mongaya
THE women’s struggle for recognition of their rights vis-à-vis their relationship with men and their status in a patriarchal society has gone a long way since my student days. Then, women and gender issues had not yet been accepted by the mainstream. Now, there are already specific government programs for women and even a separate desk in police stations for cases involving abuse of women.
Ironically, the women’s struggle is meeting stiff opposition now from a sector that used to be its ally—the Catholic clergy.
Women’s rights advocates have been pushing for the recognition of their rights to their bodies. They themselves, and not men, want to decide whether they want to be pregnant or not.
The problem is this runs smack into the Catholic clergy’s position on the use of only the natural family planning method in preventing births. The so-called advocates of women’s reproductive rights are pushing for choice in the selection of methods.
While they ironically found an ally in the government’s population program and the problematic resource providers, advocates of women’s reproductive rights slammed into the patriarchal Catholic leadership.
Curiously, the Catholic Church, through the decades, has transformed itself into a massive movement for the advocacy of its causes. The present flashpoint now is their push to stop the Department of Health’s ‘Ligtas Buntis.’
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Cebu District Collector Billy Bibit’s staff members lamented what they described as exaggerated reports on the alleged snub on Deputy Commissioner Celso Templo. Bibit reportedly arrived 10:30 that morning for his 11 a.m. appointment with Templo. However, when the deputy commissioner was not around yet at 11:30, he entertained another visitor—a certain bishop and the former student leader Nilo Tayag. At this point, Templo arrived and Bibit had to conclude the other meeting first.
According to a staff member, Templo was around 35 minutes late but could not wait 10 to 15 minutes for Bibit to conclude another appointment. Nevertheless, Bibit called up Templo after the latter left and averted whatever misunderstanding that could have arisen.
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Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s unwillingness to sit down with Talisay City officials on the SRP controversy may not just be a result of arrogance or intransigence. His trusted men led by Cebu City Councilor Gabby Leyson are now laying down the groundwork for an electoral battle to wrest Talisay away from men close to Rep. Eddie Gullas.
I find it ironic though that Leyson reportedly has the backing of former senator Sonny Osmeña. The former senator reportedly had his own political plans for the district.
(superbalita(at)sunstar(dot)com(dot)ph; anol_cebu(at)hotmail(dot)com; 09179761193)
(March 7, 2005 issue)
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