MANILA, Philippines -- The Catholic Church played down an emerging rift with other religious groups over a proposed population control legislation in Congress.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has vigorously opposed House Bill 5043 or the proposed Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Act of 2008 for its promotion of artificial birth control.
"The people should not conclude that the debate over the RH (reproductive health) bill is a war of religion, as some members of the media have tried to portray," Jaro Archbishop and CBCP president Angel Lagdameo said in an interview over the Catholic Church-run Radio Veritas.
"This is not a war of religion because each (group) has their own position on the RH bill. The Catholic Church's position is clear that (the bill) is against the teachings of the Church and should not be made into law," he added.
"We respect their position but they also have to respect the position of the Catholic Church about the destructive RH bill," he went on.
The Iglesia ni Cristo and the Jesus is Lord Church have endorsed the bill, along with some Protestant and Muslim leaders.
The bill requires government hospitals to include contraceptives in their supplies purchase and requires mandatory reproductive health education in schools.
At present local governments make contraceptives available in the village health centers.
The bill also requires local governments to employ enough midwives or attendants for a ratio of one for every 150 deliveries per year; to have an emergency obstetric care and maternal death review; and to provide mobile health care services.
In a separate interview over Radio Veritas, Bishop Patricio Alo, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Health, expressed confidence that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would veto the bill if it were passed into law.
"Yes, it could happen that the President will veto it because she is not afraid of the congressmen," he said.
The pro and anti-RH bill blocs in the House of Representatives have claimed they are close to getting the required number to pass or defeat the controversial law.
Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, principal author of House Bill 5043, claimed the support of 108 congressmen, 12 votes shy of the 120 majority votes needed for the bill's approval on second reading.
Pro-Life Caucus chairman and Parañaque City Representative Eduardo Zialcita, meanwhile, claimed the votes of 110 legislators.
Lagman said they could still pass the bill within the year during the resumption of sessions in November.
The House of Representatives has prioritized plenary debates on the proposed P1.415-trillion national budget for 2009 in order to approve the budget on second reading before Congress takes a break on October 11.
