Osmeña: No need to pass RH bill now

THE lone Cebu congressmen who wasn’t invited to lunch with Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma because of his known support for the Reproductive Health (RH) bill said he didn’t mind the snub.

“It was expected that I wouldn’t get an invitation. I would have felt awkward there anyway,” he said.

Osmeña said he supports the RH bill, which mandates the government to stock up on contraceptives and make available the full range of choices for birth control to Filipino families, as well as require sex education for students from grade 5 to high school.

But Osmeña said he won’t vote in favor of the bill when the House calls for legislators to declare their stand.

He said he valued his friendship and alliance with former Rep. Raul del Mar, an anti-RH bill advocate and papal awardee, and gave in to Del Mar’s request not to vote.

Osmeña said there is no urgency to pass the RH bill now.

“There is a difference between desirability and urgency. There is no difference between passing the bill now or next year,” he said.

He said there was little time left for lengthy House discussions since Congress is on recess and would resume session next month.

He said what is more urgent for now is for the government to make a stand against church intervention and to remind the Catholic Church of the separation of church and state.

“The government has to decide how much they will allow religion to dictate on government. Even the church does not want to dialogue on this. In the church, there is no democracy. What God says, that’s it. It’s very dogmatic,” he said.  Correspondent Edison delos Angeles