MANILA, Philippines -- The Catholic Church's stance against contraceptives has been a “huge disservice” to women and denying communion to politicians whom the Church perceived to be pro-abortion would not solve maternal deaths, reproductive rights and women's groups said on Monday.

The Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN), a consortium of more than 20 women's and health groups, said Ozamiz Archbishop Jesus Dosado’s stance not to give communion to politicians whom he considered as supportive of abortion was “very misleading.”
Beth Angsioco, RHAN secretary general, said the bishop's statement, which was given a few days after the Church launched a campaign against reproductive health bills in Congress, seemed to equate reproductive health rights with abortion.

“Abortion is not reproductive health,” she said. “I don't know if the bishop has read the reproductive health bills ... Abortion remains illegal and punishable in the Philippines,” she said.

The Catholic Church recently reiterated its stand against contraceptives and surgical interventions like tubal ligation and vasectomy.

The Church considers these measures “anti-life” and immoral, like abortion, which the Philippine government does not support.

Last week, members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines met with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to stress their opposition against reproductive health bills in Congress.

Angsioco said the Church was making a huge disservice to women by equating abortion with access to reproductive health.

Citing data from the United Nations, Angsioco said 10 women in the Philippines have been dying daily because of pregnancy complications arising from lack of maternal and natal care before, during, and after pregnancy.

“It is a huge disservice not only to women but particularly to the poor. Those who can afford contraceptives can buy, but those who are poor are really affected,” she said.

While it has expressed support for the use of contraceptives, the national government does not buy it for distribution to public health facilities, preferring instead to let local governments and international donors provide it.

“We are closing our eyes, the Church is closing its eyes to the fact that women are massacred,” she said.

The reproductive health bills in the House of Representatives would not legalize abortion, the RHAN official pointed out.

The bills seek to provide women with wider access to all kinds of family planning methods and a national reproductive health policy, according to Angsioco.

“It sets a national policy. It will no longer be dependent on local governments or the position of the President or chief executives,” she said.

Gabriela, a women's party-list group, said Dosado's call would not solve the problems facing women who lacked proper access to health and maternal care.

Instead of castigating pro-abortion politicians, the Church should take concrete initiatives that would help pregnant women and their families, Joms Salvador, Gabriela spokeswoman, said.

“We understand the concerns of the Church. We are also concerned about mothers’ health. The proposal to deny politicians communion will not solve the deep reasons why women undergo abortion,” she said.

She noted that some women chose abortion because they could not afford another child or they were raped. The current climate in which women could not have easy access to reproductive health care, has been making it difficult for mothers to make informed decisions, she added.

“There is a need to root out the causes of abortion. We challenge the Church to sit down with groups like us and interested parties to discuss the issue,” Salvador said.

In all the infighting between legislators who have proposed population management laws and the Catholic Church, women have been losing, Salvador said. “The women are burdened. They have needs and concerns,” she said.