Anti-RH bill advocates to stage weekend rally

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines -- Groups opposing the Reproductive Health bill plan a weekend rally at the EDSA Shrine in Quezon City and in other dioceses.

With this, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines President Archbishop Jose Palma asked the faithful to join the activity and show their support to promote life.

“Ito ay magiging pagpapakita lamang ng ating sentiments tungkol po sa ating advocacy for life,” he said in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas.

The rally will be held days before the members of the House of Representatives vote on the bill on Aug. 7.

“Sana nga po ipakita natin, lalo na yung mga lay people, kasi more than anybody else, kayo yung mga target ng RH bill. Ipakita natin yung pinaniniwalaan natin ay yung nakakabuti,” he added.

The CBCP chief noted the RH bill should not be approved, saying it will not solve the problems raised by proponents of the bill.

He said: “The population control policy of the reproductive health bill would only stall our economic growth.

"The problem of countries with former robust economies is the lack of young workers for their industries and inadequate support for their aging population.”

The CBCP has repeatedly opposed the passage of the RH bill saying it is anti-life measure since it promotes the artificial method of family planning.

The RH bill, according to proponents, aims to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care.

There is general agreement about its provisions on maternal and child health.

But there is great debate on its key proposal that the Philippine government and the private sector will fund and undertake widespread distribution of family planning devices like condoms, birth control pills and IUDs, as the government continues to disseminate information on their use through all health care centers.

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