Tagbilaran Bishop Medroso urges vigilance vs RH bill

Despite announcement by Congress that the reproductive health (RH) bill was no longer its priority, at least for the next couple of months, a Catholic bishop encouraged advocates against the measure to be vigilant.

“Although it is good news to us Catholics against the RH bill, we should be cautious because they might still work on it in subtle ways,” said Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso over Church-run Radio Veritas Wednesday.

Medroso said the Catholic faithful and lawmakers against the family planning bill must not stop campaigning against the legislative measure “so that it would soon be entirely junked.”

The RH bill calls for sex education in schools and mandates government health workers to provide information on the use of artificial contraceptives.

“I hope our prolife congressmen will be vigilant because (other representatives) might work on it behind our backs,” said Medroso.

In a recent letter sent to fellow lawmakers, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. did not include bills on the reproductive health and freedom of information in the 45 priority measures Congress needed to approve before it adjourns in March.

But the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc. (PLCPD) said it wasn’t worried about it being marked as “not a priority.”

The advocacy group yesterday said the bill was being tackled in the plenary everyday.  “Even the Speaker himself said the ‘priority’ label is unimportant because what is really critical is that the bill is moving in the plenary,” according to PLCPD executive director Ramon San Pascual.

The Catholic Church has staunchly opposed the bill, saying that it promotes abortion, which is against its teachings.

Proponents, on the other hand, say the bill is in line with country commitments to human rights and family planning.