CBCP exec questions results of survey on RH bill

MANILA, Philippines—An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines cast doubt Wednesday on the Pulse Asia survey showing that nearly seven out of 10 Filipinos support the Reproductive Health Bill pending before Congress.

Fr. Melvin Castro, executive director of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, said it was not clear if the people who said they supported the bill had read its provisions, although he admitted that the Church needed to intensify its information drive on the bill.

“Definitely morality can’t be based on a survey. If at all the survey results are true, then the more that we have to explain [our opposition to the bill] to the people. However, the question in surveys like that is whether or not it’s the provisions of the bill that are being asked, or if it’s the RH Bill as a whole and whether the respondent supports it or not,” Castro told reporters.

“The survey shows that the some are saying that they haven’t read the bill yet. Had the respondents read the entire content of the bill? The surveyors should have enumerated the provisions of the bill [in the questionnaire],” he added.

Castro advised against the holding of surveys on the bill, saying the results may unduly influence lawmakers as they deliberate on the measure.

“Our impression is that they are trying to influence the legislators. They have to discuss the merits of bill and not the number [of its supporters],” he said.

The survey might also create a sort of mind-conditioning while the debate on the bill is raging, Castro added, saying, “Although we trust the professionalism of the survey companies, we are also appealing to them that we create the mindset that our legislators, and especially the majority of the people, are for the bill.”

Castro said one good thing about the survey is that it shows that many are aware of the discussions regarding the RH Bill.

However, while saying that he believed that the survey firms were “professional” in their measurement of public opinion on the issue, Castro said the people were also entitled to know about the entire content of the bill so that they can intelligently respond to questions about the proposal.

“This isn’t a numbers game. Therefore, we’ll take it as that. But it doesn’t mean that we will relegate this issue. Actually, this isn’t just a morality issue, but also economic, political and scientific. And we will not relegate the merits of the pros and cons to this bill into a numbers game; we want it to be fully discussed,” he said.

“They said informed choice is what they want, so then let’s go for that. Let’s inform the people the real contents of that bill and not just take one part and show it to the people. Let’s fully explain all the contents of that bill so that the people would be truly informed about its merits and non-merits,” he added.

Castro said the said Church “is very much confident that in the long run, while the bill is being discussed, the people, the leaders and the lay faithful themselves will side with the Church regarding the matter.”

From Rome, CBCP president and Tandag bishop Nereo Odchimar said the CBCP was determined to proceed with its opposition to the bill.

In a statement, Odchimar, who was with several Filipino bishops for their annual visit to the Vatican, hailed Pope Benedict XVI’s recent support for the CBCP on its campaign against the RH bill.

“We are greatly encouraged by the words of the Holy Father on the undertakings of the Church in the Philippines in fulfillment of her moral and spiritual witnessing in the various social concerns—such as the social communications and the media, the care for the poor and the weakest in society, the struggle against corruption in public administration. He commended the Church in the Philippines for seeking to do its part in support of human life from conception until natural death, in defense of the integrity of marriage and the family, and in the abolition of death penalty,” Odchimar said.

During the past weeks when the reproductive health issues have become “a huge public interest,” Odchimar said the Pope’s message to them “affirms the CBCP’s staunch resolve to preach and stand up for the Gospel of life in season and out of season.”

Odchimar said the Pope thanked not only the Philippine bishops, priests and religious, but also the lay people for working together in helping promote a just social order—an apparent reference to the Church’s lobbying for the rejection of the bill.

“The Pope noted that the Gospel proclamation by the Church at times touches upon the political sphere. For him, this is not surprising because the political community and the Church, while rightly distinct, are both at the service of the integral development of individuals and the society as a whole,” the prelate added.

The bishop recalled a CBCP statement issued in July which stated: “Moral truth is not created by the powerful or by popular opinion. Moral truth is what God wills from the Sacred Scriptures, taught authentically by the Church.”

“With the Holy Father we pray that the dialogues and deeper discernment that we hold with all people of good will shall bring about true and enduring good for our country,” Odchimar said. –Jerome Aning, Philippine Daily Inquirer