CBCP: No to tax boycott

MANILA, Philippines—The Catholic Church hierarchy has distanced itself from calls for civil disobedience but announced an unwavering battle against an Aquino-backed population control bill and slammed critics likening priests to a modern-day “Damaso.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) does not have an official stand on threats by some prelates to desist from paying taxes in a campaign against the reproductive health (RH) bill, said its president, Bishop Nereo Odchimar.

“If there are voices advocating civil disobedience, it doesn’t come from the collective judgment and decision of the CBCP,” the Tandag bishop told a news conference on Tuesday following a meeting of the 95-member organization’s permanent council.

But he stressed, the Church will not be deterred from speaking the truth. “There are issues which are nonnegotiable and we have teachings of the Church to protect and follow and we have divine and human values to uphold,” he said.

Referring to Malacañang’s call for sobriety in the debate on the RH bill, Odchimar asked, “Who is (engaging in) name calling? Some have called us liars, some Damaso … for instance when demonstrators stormed our office, who did the name calling? Is it okay if it is favorable to them and not okay if it is favorable to us?”

Damaso is the reviled Spanish friar in Jose Rizal’s novel, “Noli Me Tangere,” that planted the seeds of the Philippine revolution against Spain.

The CBCP released a letter by Odchimar to President Aquino after the council meeting, affirming the group’s decision last week to discontinue dialogue on the RH issue.

“This action was taken after considering the prevailing circumstances where a healthy atmosphere for dialogue on the matter is wanting,” he said.

Aquino presses drive

Pressing his campaign for the passage of the RH bill, Mr. Aquino said he was prepared to face excommunication in mobilizing support for the RH bill and warned those against the measure urging nonpayment of taxes and other forms of civil disobedience risked being charged with sedition.

The President recounted before a cheering Philippine Medical Association convention in Davao City on Wednesday his recent meeting with a 16-year-old mother of two.

“Instead of studying for the college entrance exams, she was faced with the challenge of raising two children. Who is responsible for this?” he asked. “We need legislation that would prevent this tragedy from happening.”

“Educate the couples, give them a menu of choices of family planning methods as they are in the best position to decide on matters affecting them,” Mr. Aquino said in his remarks in Davao on Wednesday.

“In short, we don’t want and will not force anyone to go against their individual preferences but let them make informed decisions.”

Not out to pick fight

At the press briefing later, the President said he did not wish to pick a fight with the prelates.

“I urge the Church to work with us instead on the many areas where we do agree—poverty alleviation, peace and order, and perhaps, even responsible mining. Let us work together. This single issue does not have to be as divisive as it has become,” he said.

Sen. Pia Cayetano, chair of the Senate committee on health and demographics, on Wednesday ruled out a meeting with Church officials after wrapping up hearings on the RH measure. “There’s nothing to meet halfway on,” she said, pointing out her report incorporated “all views.”

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, author of the Senate version of the RH bill, said on Wednesday that while the upper chamber was willing to compromise, access for women to full information was not negotiable.

“That is the bottom-line. All we’re asking for is the chance to tell women about other methods apart from the natural family planning which is espoused by the Catholic Church,” she said in an interview.

Educate the women

“The most we can concede is that we should first give priority to family planning when we educate the women, and we will say that the Catholic Church is against all other methods of contraception so that they will have freedom of choice. It’s a question of simple information,” Santiago added.

Her bill seeks to provide emergency obstetric care in each province and city; full range of modern family planning methods in all accredited health facilities; the inclusion of family planning supplies as essential medicines; PhilHealth benefits for serious and life-threatening reproductive health conditions such as HIV and AIDS, breast and reproductive tract cancers, and obstetric complications; deploying mobile health care service vans; mandatory age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education starting at Grade 5; and capability building of barangay health workers, among others.

“It’s impossible that this RH bill is antilife. Because of this bill, more mothers’ lives will be saved. We have one of the highest mortality rates in Asia,” she said.

“I’ll go straight to the point: Which would you prefer, a family using condoms or resorting to abortion?” With reports from TJ Burgonio in Manila and Germelina A. Lacorte and Judy Quiros, Inquirer Mindanao