Statement of deepest concern

Today is the day the nation goes to the polls. This is judgment day that the sovereign people have long been waiting for. This is the day when they will choose the leaders whom they believe will resolutely carry out the much needed changes in government they have been dreaming of after almost ten years of misrule and bad governance.

Based on the results of the latest Pulse Asia and SWS poll surveys that have already been proven to be more or less accurate and credible, it seems to be all over but the counting in favor of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Obviously, Noynoy Aquino rode on the crest of the peoples’ love, admiration and sympathy for his parents Ninoy and Cory, as he started with much reluctance to capture Malacanang. He has indeed gained support from almost all sectors of society including priests and nuns and most of the Catholic clergy. His opponents even tried to question his mental fitness to assume the presidency but to no avail.

But even as he is only on the verge of victory and poised to claim it, another concern is being raised against him and the kind of government we will have under him. This concern is more valid and serious because it raises doubts on his moral fitness to be our President as shown by his pro-choice, pro RH and pro-population control stand. This is the deep concern raised by some Catholic laity who are fighting for the culture of life in this nation. Reproduce hereunder is the statement I received in the e-mail (emmaroxasAyahoo.com) expressing the feeling of betrayal by the clergy and religious who supported Noynoy Aquino.

“The clergy have encouraged us the laity to take the lead in defending the culture of life. But now with the support of many clerics for the Presidential bid of Noynoy Aquino, the rug is being pulled right from under us.

Don’t the clergy and the religious see the inherent danger of an Aquino Presidency? He is known to be pro-choice, pro-RH, pro-population control. He has shown arrogance in dismissing the Catholic position. He is gleefully supported by Ang Ladlad and by the PLCPD (Philippine Legislative Committee for Population Development) The people around his campaign are known supporters of contraception and population control.

Is this support for Noynoy because of their love for Ninoy and Cory? We too love Ninoy and Cory because they thought that the Filipino is worth dying for. They defended us against evil forces and give their lives in the service of the Filipino people. But Noynoy’s legacy will not be the same. Marriage, family life, the bearing and raising of children for God’s Kingdom will not be the same with a leader who adopts permissive attitude on basic life issues. The Right to Life is paramount, without which no other right can follow. One who does not honor God’s plans for procreation will eventually dishonor the elderly, and his professed love for the poor will become shallow play-acting. Noynoy’s thin camouflage of euphemisms cannot conceal what he and his anti-natalist allies are contemplating.

What is it that our clergy and religious do not see? Ah but if they do see and still persist in supporting Aquino, then that is the deepest concern for us.

What has happened to righteousness? Righteousness exalts a nation (Prov. 14:3). Do we turn a blind eye to what is wrong? Can anything justify a support of a candidate who will be a serious threat to the culture of life?

The anti-life and anti-family forces are already in our nation, and are poised to go all out in assailing the culture of life. Reproductive Health according to Hillary Clinton is abortion. And the goal of the powerful forces of the USA and others is to make abortion a universal right. We are talking here about the murder of the unborn. We are talking here about the holocaust of the innocents who are being sacrificed to Baal.

We can accept that Satan is our enemy. We can accept that the forces of ideological homosexuality are our enemies. We can even accept that there are many dissident Catholics who are enemies within. But our own beloved priests and nuns! Our hearts are broken in sorrow. We are being betrayed”.

The points raised in the above statement are deep concerns indeed. And based on Aquino’s reported stand on the issues raised particularly his being pro-choice, pro-RH and pro- population control, it looks like we are going to have a President whose moral fitness is highly in doubt. To be sure, the only categorical statement on these issues that I have actually heard from Aquino is his support for contraception for population control. He should know however that contraception is morally wrong. It is “any action taken before during or after the conjugal act which is aimed at impeding the process or the possible fruit of conception”. It makes the conjugal act of love a lie. “I love you as long as we do not give birth”. Besides, many contraceptives have also been shown by medical science to have various ill effects. Thus contraception endangers “the physical well being of the wife and the spiritual health of the marriage”.

The fighters for the culture of life in this country are really justified in feeling betrayed by the priests and nuns who supported his candidacy. And since his victory in the elections looks inevitable the specter of having more of the same or even worse government than we have now looms large indeed. But there is no use crying over spilled milk. I still believe that being a progeny of a very pious woman who was almost considered a “saint”, Aquino is not inherently a hard core anti-life person. He may change his mind on these issues. And the priests and nuns who supported him are in the best positions to influence him in changing his mind. –Jose C. Sison (The Philippine Star)