RH BILL
by: Ariem Cinco
Whether or not RH Bill is passed into law, there will always be a tug-of-war between the pros and the antis and this issue will never die. Nonetheless, I am for RH Bill. It is my resolve to support the passage of the bill into law because of the following reasons:
1. RH Bill does not condone nor promote promiscuity as claimed by all anti-RH. Does it mean that if a person has condom in his or her wallet, it is tantamount to saying that the person is sexually active the very least or promiscuous at worst? I know some people who carry condoms distribute condoms but are not promiscuous. What does this imply; it’s neither the distribution of condoms nor the RH BILL that dictates a person’s will rather his own character, principles and conviction. From my careful observation, the claim of the anti-RH about promiscuity is an uninformed judgment of the scenario. Why? They are only talking about their false expectations appearing real (FEAR). I fear not that our country will become a sanctuary of licentious people because I am confident that Filipinos have imbibed in them unwavering morality.
2. RH Bill does not equate to abortion. Scientifically, abortion means any of various methods of terminating pregnancy or conception. With the emphasis on the termination, this means that abortion only happens after fertilization period. The use of contraceptive, condom - the most controversial among them, prevents fertilization to occur. Termination of pregnancy and prevention of pregnancy are two different phrases with different meanings.
3. RH Bill aims to educate individuals about informed options related to their reproductive well-being especially among women. The bill, as far as my understanding is concerned, is intended to promote the welfare of women and children. How aware are the anti-RH bill about the mortality rate among women and children, especially during birthing? While it is the state’s obligation to oversee and govern the affairs of the nation, it is the church responsibility to educate its followers about proper values so they become morally upright individuals. Where do we draw the line between political leadership and religious leadership, especially now that the church apparently and directly intervenes the affairs of the state?
4. RH Bill is not created to mandate people to defy the moral standards of our society. I believe with conviction that the moral of a person, if and only if is strengthened through proper education, will neither be eroded nor will be corrupted by any of these laws. Honestly, I am a Roman Catholic, I don’t hear the mass often but I can confidently say that I have set myself an acceptable moral standards compared to those who hypocritically attend church services yet they have rotten morals. There are atheists I know who show more concern and compassion to their neighbors and fellows than some of those I know who diligently serve the church.
5. RH Bill is viewed as sure-fire measure to at least deter the rapidly surging population if not to totally solve all other problems of the country. While others claim that overpopulation is not a problem as seen in other countries like in China and India, I would like to remind everyone that such is never true in all cases. In the Philippine context, overpopulation is a threatening dilemma. It affects our society badly such that it causes crime rate to increase, prostitution, drug trafficking, human trafficking, hunger, and other societal banes continuously pervade. Are we not aware that there are a lot of homeless families and street children wandering around the metropolis? Or are we blindfolded for us not to discern this stark reality? Or do we really understand the true plight of the poor? Or maybe we just don’t care at all? How does this relate to the problem of overpopulation?
Despite my claim, I am no narrow-minded not to consider the counter-arguments.
1. RH Bill can be a source of corruption. With or without RH Bill, there has already been corruption. What does this imply? This only means that we Filipinos have not learned our lessons by choosing our leaders shrewdly, by sharply discriminating the righteous and capacitated leaders from those pseudo-leaders. This fear of corruption roots not from the bill but from ourselves. Why do I say so? I make this claim because if we really are that serious of eradicating corruption, we should be vigilant as vanguards of all the affairs of the state and with how our government is run by our political leaders. Do not contribute to the problem instead be a solution to the problem.
2. RH Bill will not solve the problems of the country. Definitely it won’t. Because the RH Bill is designed to address specific problem - this is overpopulation and in turn results in more societal problems. We cannot have a single solution tailored-fit to solve all existing quandary beset in our country.
Challenge to the ANTI-RH BILL, especially to the CHURCH.
1. What do you propose to mitigate the problems which confront our country today? To the church, other than opposing to the passage of the RH Bill, what are your proposed measures to address problems of poverty, hunger, lack of education, high crime rate and overpopulation?
Just my two cents. Thank you.
