On Reproductive Health Bill

In one occasion before the southwest monsoon strikes the Philippines, we talked about passing the RH bill at home, my youngest brother said, “it will be passed as a bill or not, but the people will make their own choice, even without the bill others are using those contraceptives”, it was true indeed so I agreed. At work I told the same sentiments to a friend but my heart just won’t go with it. I oppose RH Bill.

I want to believe that the great flood of August 17 was a sign to postpone the Senate’s session for RH Bill. Others even related it to Genesis 8 verses 7-12, the great flood in Noah’s time. Looking with faith, it must be really God’s will to postpone the session and awaken us that the bill displeases Him. The hard monsoon rain that caused deep flood in different provinces in Northern Luzon was His way, then just last week, an earthquake with 7.6 magnitude hit Eastern Samar.  I just hope we got His message.

In the midst of calamities, we pray to God to save us, we professed our faith and trust God. It just occurred to me that, if we trust God so much during those times must we not trust Him more about our lives everyday no matter what? It maybe was God’s way to tell us that we can never be in control of our life and even of nature but we must take care of the life and the nature that He has entrusted in our care. Thus, if we cut down trees irresponsibly we suffer from flood and landslide. What more if we cut down human life through RH bill?

Just last night, it came to me to read even I was feverish. I felt I had to read something and it will make me feel better. I got one of my favorite books from the shelf and did book cutting, I read whatever pages I cut into. After reading several pages I thought, what will the late President Corazon Aquino say to President Noynoy if she’s still alive? She has pledged allegiance and strongly upheld the Philippine Constitution of 1987. I was thinking on RH Bill and of sharing this:

Excerpts from the chapter A Covenant for Peace, of the book entitled ”“Mankind’s Final Destiny”, The Blessed Mother’s Messages and Prophecies for Our Time” by Howard Q. Dee

“President Aquino has said that the fundamental law of our land, our Constitution of 1987 is rooted in a higher law—the moral law of the Divine Providence whose aid we implore in it Preamble. She said that as a nation of believers, we must not hesitate to always manifest our faith in God. All our political acts must be based on moral grounds. Our democracy, now firmly established, she said, springs from the moral teachings of the holy books, the Bible and the Koran, and this religiously must be the foundation of our nation of God.

Our Covenant with the Lord

Our 1987 Constitution is indeed unique in the world- it is not only our basic law – it is also an embodiment of our aspirations, and it is our covenant as a nation- people of God. This covenant with God contains three premises:

1. To protect life in all its forms, including that of the unborn

2. To promote human worth and development through social justice

3. To promote and preserve peace by a moral order that excludes nuclear armaments.

The framers of this Constitution were truly guided by the Holy Spirit. A covenant implies the consent of two parties. It is also God’s covenant with us. Therefore, if we keep our promises, we can expect Him to keep His.

Many have worked hard towards nation-building. There are many achievements of which we can be proud:

The restoration of our freedom, human rights and constitutional law.

The firm establishment of our democratic institution and the successful defense of the Republic against an intransigent left, rebellious right and secessionist forces.

Economic and financial stability in spite of a mountain of debt.

Cooperatives development as a means of empowering people and creating wealth at the grassroots.

The successful rehabilitation of government financial institutions.

President Aquino’s example of personal moral integrity. These pillars are in place to support the structures of democracy, justice and peace.

The Protection of Life

In our first Constitutional covenant, the protection of life, we have not been in solidarity. We find ourselves embroiled in controversy over the methods of population control. Against the advice of the Holy Father and the protestations of the Cardinals and Bishops, instead of promoting natural method that would enhance parental responsibility, we are allowing the mass sterilization of Filipino mothers in the name of maternal health and child welfare. (Now it is the RH bill) Internationally renowned scientists have supported the Holy Father’s position that the use of artificial contraceptive methods and devices (pills, condoms, IUDs, litigation, vasectomy) actually promote procreative irresponsibility and destroy the communion of sexual behavior and marital love. This disintegration of procreative responsibility and conjugal life violates the sacrament of matrimony and eventually leads to the destruction of moral and family values which form the foundation of civilized society.

The tree of Life in Genesis is the exclusive domain of God which He had commanded the angels to guard against intrusion by man, after the fall of Adam. Satan would temp us to intrude into this divine domain over the procreation of life with the use of modern medicines and surgery, preventing life, aborting it, manipulating it, sterilizing it. We are courting our own disaster.”

I must say that RH Bill is not the solution to poverty or crimes or to whatever problems they attribute to over population but it is one’s moral and responsible choice. Instead of making the people aware on how to use those contraceptive methods, why not make them aware morally, teach them responsible parenthood that will not need to consciously abort or prevent life from growing.

by:Terranya M. Tiamson