CBCP will not join meeting on RH Bill

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma announces that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will not participate in the meeting set by the Lower House in amending some of the provisions of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) Bill.

“I understand that the plan in the lower house is to have people coming from pro-RH, anti-RH and even from the CBCP. From CBCP, I would like to make a declaration that we are not participating,” said Palma, the CBCP president.

“We are not participating, not because we are not interested in upholding the common good but because in principle we are against the bill and to participate in any form of amendments is like saying we agree on the bill. We said this is our stand and they should realize that we are consistent with the Church’s doctrine. It would really appear, that if we participate in the amendments it’s just like saying the bill is okay and we are only amending a few provisions, that will be the logic,” Palma added.

Palma made the declaration because in the last few weeks he had a lot of invitations coming from businessmen, group leaders and even congressmen asking him to join their group doing the amendments but he refused to join.

“We don’t accept the bill, that’s why we do not participate in the groups that make amendments and that’s the decision of the permanent council. Our stand is no to RH bill. For us the bill is not okay,” he said.

Earlier, CBCP made a statement that they will boycott the meeting of the technical working group formed by proponents of the Reproductive Health bill in the House of Representatives to facilitate amendments on the measure.

CPCP-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life chairman Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes said they support the stand of CBCP president Cebu Archbishop Palma to refuse to send a representative to the technical working group created by Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.

The Catholic Church has maintained a hardline stance to oppose the RH bill. He said the Church remains firm on its stand that all the provisions in both Senate Bill 2865 and HB 4244 or Reproductive Health and Responsible Parenthood Development bill are against “natural moral law.”

The Church, Bishop Reyes said, will not go into any compromise and that the country should not listen to what the United Nations dictates which would mean legalizing abortion and controlling the country’s population. — (FREEMAN)