Palace: Arroyo not meddling in family planning bill debate
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:34:00 09/24/2008
Filed Under: Family planning, Conflicts (general), Congress, Legislation, Government, Politics
MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has made her position on the reproductive health bill, and Malacañang will not meddle in stormy deliberations on the measure at the House of Representatives, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.
Arroyo has adopted the Catholic church’s stand against artificial birth control methods and is advocating natural family planning.
"Let us put it this way, the President has made her official stand on the reproductive health bill and I suppose it would be enough for our allies," Ermita told his weekly news conference at the Palace on Wednesday.
"Maybe they [lawmakers] should be able to answer for themselves, whatever the fate of the reproductive health bill," he added.
Asked if Arroyo would sign the measure if it were passed, Ermita said: "I cannot second-guess the President. It is a decision that the President herself can make."
However, Ermita said that in his conversations with lawmakers, it appeared that the sentiment was for the non-passage of the measure because of the church’s opposition.
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