Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Nalzaro: Misinformation By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
MAYOR Tomas Osmeña said he will not allow religion to dictate him on his reproductive health programs. He is a Roman Catholic, he said, but he is the mayor of everybody.
I salute the mayor for his strong conviction and for standing for what is right for the greater majority of his people. I hope he will not be included in the list of people to be banned from receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion.
When Tomas issued that statement over the weekend, nobody dared to contradict him, not even Dr. Rene Joseph Bullecer, a pro-life advocate and chairman of the Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board (Caib). Are the Church and pro-life groups afraid of the mayor?
Since Bullecer cannot convince the mayor to follow the Church's stand opposing the reproductive health bill, I challenge him to resign as Caib chairman. Why stay in that office when his stand is in conflict with the mayor?
Besides, he has no achievement as Caib chairman. He is just using his position to advance his personal agenda as leader of a pro-life group and for his advocacy in Aids Free Philippines while receiving foreign funding.
He failed to curb the proliferation of pornographic materials, minimize prostitution and penalize theater owners showing bold films. His moves are mostly for publicity. He invites reporters when seized porno materials are burned. After that, no more.
The problem with Bullecer's group is that they mislead the public by saying that the reproductive health bill is anti-life. Nowhere in the proposed bill is it suggested that abortion should be legalized. It even gives couples the choice of the method to use in family planning.
If Bullecer’s group declares war against artificial method of family planning, then let it be. We are in a democratic country and anybody is entitled to his own opinion. But they should not mislead the public through misinformation.
Again, I am not questioning the Church stand against the reproductive health bill but its muzzling of those who endorse it. I am even afraid that I might also be denied Holy Communion. Mokaon na lang kog pan ani ug dili ba bahaw.
This reminds me of the conflict between the parish priest and the mayor of one of the towns in Camotes several years ago. The mayor prohibited his supporters from attending mass in the town church. What some of the parishioners did was hear mass aired over the local GMA 7 station every Sunday morning. During Holy Communion, they would eat bread. Funny.
