Bona fide Text
Kill Bill?
Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) show that as of July 2008, Philippine population reached 89 million. This figure is 11 times as large as that of 1903, the year when the first census of Philippine population was done. For the record, Philippine population in 1903 was 7,635,426.
With this rapid growth of our country's population certain measures to provide solutions to overpopulation were proposed. One of these is the very controversial House Bill 3773, the Integrated Reproductive Health and Population Reduction Bill.
This bill was authored by 51 lawmakers; the bill espouses all methods of family planning, including the use of natural and modern methods, such as condoms and pills, and the formulation of a sound national policy on reproductive health.
The Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) was alarmed and even accused the government of providing wrong solution to the growing population. They even issued a pastoral letter that states, "Legislation in public office has caused a tremendous danger to family life in the contentious congressional bills that propose to legalize abortion, prostitution and divorce."
The Philippines is the only country in Asia in which Christianity is the dominant religion. The measures proposed in the bill contradict to the Catholic teachings. However, Rep. Gilbert Remulla of Cavite said that the bill is meant to lessen, if not eliminate, abortion in the country. He even reiterated that, "The bill is anti-abortion."
But the CBCP strongly disagree that the use of birth control methods such as contraceptives like pills and condoms; injectibles, IUD and permanent sterilization are strictly prohibited and not in the norms of Catholic teachings. CBCP mentioned that these birth control devices are anti-life.
The Catholic Church kept on educating Filipinos that the only acceptable method is family planning. In the CBCP pastoral letter says the moment God created Adam and Eve, He also gave them duties and responsibilities to fulfill. One of their responsibilities is the bearing of children and their nurturance demands responsibility from parents that we call "responsible parenthood."
The HB 3773 may lead to other serious morality problems like damage in family relationships, having extramarital relationships, adolescent or unwanted pregnancies that would be a premise of committing abortion.
A representative from Iloilo who is one of the authors of the said bill has no plans of withdrawing her support even though she and her co-authors are now acknowledging the pressures they had been getting from the church. The authors strongly believe that the bill is not anti-life and definitely not to legalize abortion. These lawmakers believe that this bill is needed and necessary to manage the blooming population of the country. In the news article I've read, this representative accused the Church of resorting to dirty politics by spreading false information about the bill and against those advocating it.
This bill is somehow appealing to the ears as it contains provisions on the two-child policy, provisions paving the way for the liberalization of abortion laws, and sex-education for 10 year olds up to 4th year High School.
This bill is indeed debatable because proponents of this bill find it as the best answer to the growing population of the country. However, let us not be ignorant on these things. Let us unite for a common good and seek for an answer that would not sacrifice the standards of morality of our own society. Let us not allow authors, who somehow with other "hidden agenda" fighting to death for the approval of the said bill. Remember that evil triumphs when good men do nothing.