KUWENTO NI JUAN
RH bill is giving those who have less in life a chance
By Mang Juan Pinoy
“Always give an option in your arguments before you oppose. If you understand what you are exactly opposing to, then you will know what your options are. “
RH bill does not attempt to legalize what is already legal
Family planning and artificial birth control is absolutely legal. With or without the RH bill passed into law, couples have already unlimited access to contraceptives over the counter even prior to the RH bill. This is a legitimate fact.
“Common sense is always right.”
RH bill only makes it available for free to the poor
People with money and access to education are not the targets of the RH bill. The bill is not meant to serve just Catholics. It’s supposed to serve every single Filipino, particularly the poor. Unless you are anti-poor?
Why is the Church is scared of giving the poor informed choices? Even Adam and Eve were allowed to exercise free will.
“If Church teachings are so effective, the faithful will reject pills and condoms even if given away for free.”
Sacred life begins at fertilization and not at implantation
A sperm cell is not an unborn child in the same way that pollen is not an unborn plant.
The argument is contraceptives are abortifacients. Anti-RH advocates argue that life begins at the moment of fertilization (and not much later, at the moment of implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus). How can a condom be an abortifacient when, literally and scientifically, there is no fertilized egg yet to abort? How can one say that life begins at fertilization but you can end life even before it begins? Ovulation is different to fertilization, no fertilization no abortion.
Using the calendar or contraceptives to prevent fertility of the egg both prevents life. So both are murder if you insists preventing fertility is abortion.
The best way to prevent abortions is to prevent unwanted pregnancies, in which RH Bill is intended to.
“The bill doesn’t endorse or promote abortion but the Church insists it does – but presents no proof except its say-so.”
RH bill does not discriminates against the Catholic Church
Anti-RH advocates says that the RH bill discriminates against the Catholic Church because it goes against the of Catholic teachings and the law must respect the religion of majority of Filipinos. They further argued that the state must be neutral to religion. Detractors must make up their mind. Either we are a secular state or are we Vatican?
“RH is exclusive for any Filipinos who needs it, wants it, but cannot afford it. Others who does not need it, want it and can afford it is very much entitled not to support RH.”
The RH bill does not encroach on the religious beliefs of traditional Catholics
Under the RH bill, all couples are free to choose how many children they want and, if they so choose, what family planning method to use. It guarantees free and informed choice. It remains neutral on what method a couple chooses for themselves. It doesn’t impose any choice on anybody. Traditional Catholics are absolutely and completely free to follow their faith, have unprotected sex and give birth to all the children they want.
However, what the RH bill secures is equal freedom to parents who believe differently—who would plan the spacing and number of children. It is to provide information, freedom of choice and to have access to contraceptives for those who cannot afford it.
Neither the government nor the church has the right to stop people from practicing responsible parenthood whichever way they prefer.
“The freedom to believe is the freedom to choose accordingly to what one believes and not imposing your beliefs on people you don’t even know.”
You disregard the intent, you abused the status of separation of power
The church loves the poor. Taxes paid to the state are spent on the poor. So why don’t churches pay taxes?
The church does not pay taxes, they are exempted. This only means that the billions they collected during mass and other services go directly to the church’s coffers depriving the government additional revenue to spend for social services.
An exemption for churches from taxes ensures a “wall of separation between between church and state”. Tax free status is accorded provided the church stayed out of politics and likewise no way the state can tell a church what to do.
You cannot enjoy tax exemption and even get government money for cash donations and yet interfere with state affairs. You cannot do both.
“Tax exemption is a privilege, not a right.”
But where natural method fails, science always works
Catholic doctrine-based arguments are constitutionally acknowledged and politically persuasive, in terms of debating strategy. If the Church can’t convince through its own theological arguments, it has no right to do so by dictate of tax boycott or excommunication sanction. If it can’t convince its followers then admittedly then they must had a failed method.
“The RH bill is all about choices. Not abortion. It is the right to exercise free will. You convince us we are wrong and not threaten us that you are right.”
Enhanced pro-poor family planning bill passed into law
More than 560,000 squatter families in Metro Manila will be relocated and receive 2 hectares of farm land each under the administration’s flagship program on illegal settlers. Pres. Aquino III said government had identified some 1.5 million hectares of farmland that could be distributed to the poor squatters.
If successfully implemented, this relocation and livelihood agenda to addressed poverty alleviation back-to-back with an enhanced pro-poor family planning bill passed into law can pave way to the biggest government project ever initiated to finally stop hunger and poverty in our country.
The RH bill does not claim to solve widespread poverty because it WILL NOT. However, enacting this bill into law will help to diminish the ‘cycle of poverty’. If one is born poor, it is very difficult to overcome it, especially for the miserable poor with continuing unwanted pregnancies.
A vote for RH is a vote for the poor.
“We are not an over populated country with unexplained poverty. What we have become is a nation over populated by politicians with unexplained greed.”
A reproductive idea for all
Instead of rejecting the bill in its entirety, the RH bill proponents should insert a pro-life provision to likewise make equally available and accessible fertility, sterility and sex potency pills to treat couples who suffers from sexual reproduction disorders and sexual dysfunction and cannot afford to have a child.
“Every baby is a blessing, it’s true, but every child is also a serious major responsibility.”
Billion pesos of taxpayer’s money to subsidize reproductive choices
Based on National Census Statistics Board data 2000, about 24% of the Philippine population is above 20 years old. Based on the same statistics, about 50% of that are females.
“Considering we have a total population of about 90 million that means the total population of Filipinos above 20 years old is about 22 million. Half of that would be 11 million females. This is the present target market for contraceptives. If I am not mistaken, based on what I have found out from the internet, the cost of using birth control pills is about P1,000 a month.
“The total potential value of the market in the Philippines is therefore computed to be: 11 million x P1,000 per month x 12 months or a total of P132 billion per year. The problem for the contraceptive manufacturers is that 90 percent of the market belongs to the lower income who cannot afford to spend P1,000 per month. So in order to give this market purchasing power, the RH Bill is now being pushed to enable the government to use taxpayer’s money to subsidize these contraceptives.
“To further expand the market, the 10 to 15 years old will be given sex education in school and they will be allowed to purchase contraceptives even without the consent of their parents. That could mean another 4,000,000 potential users. The value of this additional market is calculated to be another P48 billion. Adding the two markets gives us a whooping valuation of P180 billion per year. Now I understand why the RH Bill is being pushed very hard. (Source: Philstar.com)
Some pro-RH bill advocates are skeptical that there is a hidden agenda by lobbyists led by contraceptive manufacturers that want to market easy their products openly in the country using taxpayers money. Fact is, they’re now sold all over the country. However, very few are buying them.
Both RH bill opponents and supporters should instead pay attention and scrutinize the provision of the RH bill enabling the government to pay the multinational pharmaceutical companies multi-billions of pesos using taxpayer’s money to subsidize the RH bill program.
If funds allocated for family planning do not go to their beneficiaries, corruption would be institutionalized if the RH bill becomes a law. A staggering amount can be a breeding ground for greed and become a future multi-billion pesos plunder scandal once the landmark law is passed.
We need to strictly safeguard fiscal provisions in the RH bill as the last thing we will not allow are to become instruments of corruption conspiracy in process.
Vigilance. Vigilance.
But do we really need a law to make these life choices?
Rhythm method of family planning and condoms are no different.
Both prevents fertilization.
One uses rubber.
The other math.
Abstinence does not work.
You do not push down poverty by doing nothing.
