Thursday, October 02, 2008 Speak out: Controversial bill By Emmanuel A. Polotan and BlenchemaY P. Mangubat
HOUSE Bill 4110 or the Reproductive Health Bill supposedly recognizes and guarantees the rights of persons, including the right to right to reproductive health.
But there has always been a debate on the bill between its proponents and the Catholic Church, which has long opposed artificial means of contraception.
We, being devout Catholics, are against this bill.
Some think the bill will help solve the country’s problem on overpopulation, but we say that population control is about individual self-discipline and self-control.
The bill will encourage people to do immoral acts, like pre-marital or extra-marital sex, leading to unwanted pregnancy and/or abortion. In this sense, what will happen to our Christian values?
We hope that through God’s guidance, government will find better ways to solve the problem of overpopulation that would not greatly affect Filipinos’ Christian values or gloss over the faith of Catholics.