‘Survey has to say what’s in RH bill’

MANILA, Philippines—It could be in the way the questions are phrased.

A retired bishop Wednesday floated the idea of the Church initiating an extensive survey at the diocesan level to validate whether majority of Filipinos favored the reproductive health (RH) bill.

Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani said previous surveys showing 70 to 80 percent of Filipinos were supporting the population control measure did not ask questions detailed enough to have yielded informed answers.

“The survey must explain what the bill contains… but it did not. It only asked whether you want family planning,” Bacani told reporters on the sidelines of a forum hosted by the Church-run Radio Veritas at Unibersidad de Manila Wednesday.

“Who would answer ‘No’ to that?” he asked. “But if the survey also asked whether you would accept help that would cause abortion, people would answer differently.”

Independent polls

In 2008, independent surveys showed that more than 75 percent of adult Filipinos wanted the passage of the RH bill, which seeks to require government to distribute contraceptives like condoms, pills and IUDs and to provide family planning education in public schools.

Attended by students, the public forum dubbed “Talakayan sa Bayan, RH Bill Alam Mo Ba Ito?” was aimed at underlining provisions of the bill being debated by the Catholic Church and advocates of the measure.

Representing the Church’s stand were Bacani and Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez. Standing in for the RH bill supporters was former Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, one of the co-authors of the measure in the previous Congress.

Bacani reiterated that while the Church understood the intentions of the proponents of the bill to promote better health for Filipino women and children, it was the “means of the intention that we cannot stomach.”

Specific questions

Bacani said that before surveys were to be conducted, respondents must be educated and informed of the provisions of the bill. Surveys must also ask specific, not broad, questions.

For her part, Baraquel said the previous survey results in favor of the RH bill could be validated with the House of Representatives.

“You could check with the House members and the senators if the survey result of 80 percent plus Filipinos supporting the RH bill still holds true,” she said.

Debate in House

In the House, Pope Benedict XVI’s comments on condom use Wednesday stirred a debate that spiced up the preliminary hearing on the RH measures.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello sparked the debate when he quoted the Pontiff while explaining his own RH bill before a packed audience of legislators and advocates from both camps.

This drew quick retorts from colleagues who cautioned him against quoting the Pope in vain.

“We are very happy to witness that the Pope has come around to our point of view with respect to certain issues such as the use of artificial means of contraception,” Bello said to murmurs of disagreement.

Sensing the increasingly serious atmosphere, he added in jest: “My sources in the Vatican said this was specially intended for our session. I’m just kidding.”

Invoking the Vatican

Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing quickly interjected and inquired if the Pope had a new spokesperson. “We should not abuse the parliamentary powers that we have by invoking the Vatican. Let’s wait for him to clear up. It’s not good if we’d ridicule the Pope,” he said.

Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez agreed with his colleague’s manifestation, and said: “I think we should be respectful of our religious leaders, and not quote them in vain.”

Biliran Rep. Rogelio Espina, the chair of the committee on population and family relations that opened hearings on six RH bills, said the comments of Bagatsing and Golez were “well taken.”

The Pontiff said in his recent book “Light of the World” that an HIV-infected male prostitute could use condom as “a first step of moralization” but said this was not the “moral and real solution” to HIV-AIDS.

Benedict also reaffirmed Church teaching opposing artificial contraception, and reiterated the Church position that abstinence and marital fidelity were the only ways to prevent HIV.

Teaching on contraception

Also weighing in on the matter, Fr. Eric Genilo of the John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues said the Pontiff’s comments neither changed Church teaching on contraception nor endorsed contraception.

“It doesn’t change the Church position that the best way to prevent HIV is the humanization of sexuality. One should have responsible sexual behavior,” he said.

Former Sen. Francisco Tatad, a member of the International Right to Life Federation, said: “I don’t believe the papacy has anything to do with the RH bill.”

House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman, Bello, Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, Akbayan party-list Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, and Gabriela party-list Representatives Luz Ilagan and Emmi de Jesus explained the RH bills they were supporting.

“I’ve decided to author a reproductive health and population development bill … not because I’ve lost my sense of morality. On the contrary, my dear colleagues, Akbayan’s decision to champion the RH bill has always been a moral decision,” Bag-ao said.

Afterward, advocates for and against the RH bill from various sectors were allowed to spell out their positions.

An official from the Department of Justice said there appeared to be no violation of the Constitution by the RH bills, while an official from the Department of Health expressed full support for the measures.

Upon fertilization

Genilo posed the most interesting question to the RH bill proponents: Do they agree with the Church position that human life must be protected upon fertilization?

“Is this the same position you’re taking with the RH bill? It doesn’t seem to be clear. That’s why there’s reason for some to believe that the bill may allow some form of abortion,” he said.

The Jesuit priest said the Constitution stated that the State shall protect the life of the unborn upon conception but did not specify if this meant fertilization or implantation of the embryo in the womb. –Jocelyn R. Uy, TJ Burgonio, Philippine Daily Inquirer