CBCP to hold more rallies vs. Reproductive Health Bill

The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines recently released a statement threatening the government that a bigger protest will be held if Congress approves the controversial Reproductive Health Bill.

This came after the proposed health measure was approved by two House Committees on second reading last Wednesday.

CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Canon Law chairman Bishop Leonardo Medroso said a nationwide protest will be held to hinder the enactment of population control measure.

For the past weeks, different prayer rallies and protests have been staged calling lawmakers to abort the passage of the bill that promotes information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible.

In Cebu, a prayer rally was held in mid July to tell the government that the Cebu Archdiocese opposes the Reproductive Health Bill they believed was composed to control the population of mankind, legalize abortion and intensify sex education.

“Why wait until the bill is passed? It should be now. We have to assert the catholic voice now; especially that it is the Catholic Church which is the only one standing firm in opposing the bill,” Human Life International Pilipinas country director Rene Bullecer said on Medroso’s call for a bigger protest.

Bullecer said he will propose a massive protest aside from information campaign to the cardinal during the Clergy meeting of the archdiocese on Thursday.

He said he will also propose a three-hour vigil for nine days “for family and life”.

Bullecer said next will be a signature campaign nationwide that will be the initiative of the Cebu Archdiocese.

He encouraged concerted actions which does not limit only to the cathedrals but to all the parishes in Cebu.

Bullecer said that he, together with other congressmen in Cebu was shocked when they knew Cebu 1st dist. Rep. Eduardo Gullas’ stand against them by showing approval in the appropriation of P3 billion fund for the Reproductive Health Bill during the deliberation last week.

“I don’t know if the cardinal knows it but among the congressmen in Cebu, Gullas is the closest to the cardinal, that’s why we were shocked to know that he favors the bill,” Bullecer said.  — Jessica Ann Pareja/BRP