Pro-life groups to ask SC to stop reproductive health event

MANILA, Philippines - The Catholic Church and pro-life groups will ask the Supreme Court on Monday to stop the holding of an international event that would tackle reproductive and sexual health rights, which the groups claims promotes abortion.

One of the pro-life organizations, the Filipinos for Life, alleged that the participants of the 7th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights are supporters of abortion, which is prohibited in the Philippines.

The event will be held tomorrow, January 21, at the Philippine International Convention Center and culminate on January 24.

AJ Perez of the Filipinos for Life said pro-life groups, with the help of lawyer Jo Imbong, will ask the High Court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the summit.

Imbong, one of the petitioners questioning the constitutionality of the Reproductive Health Law, said the holding of the event is an outright defiance of the indefinite TRO on the implementation of the RH law.

The pro-life groups also chided President Benigno Aquino III, who signed the RH bill into law last year, for being the keynote speaker at the event.

"Hindi siya dapat pumapanig sa mga ganitong usapin dahil hayagan naman na mga aborsyonista at mga international groups na sumusuporta ng aborsyon. Ang a-atend nito and in effect kumbaga pag-uusapan nila yung aborsyon na isang bagay na illegal sa bansa natin so parang kapag nagsalita siya dun nag-keynote address," Perez told Radyo Veritas.

Perez said it is ironic that President Aquino will be leading the national day of prayer on Monday and attend the conference on Tuesday.

"Napaka-ironic, the day before magdadasal tapos ganon. Magkakaroon tayo ng TRO. We will try our best to do that," Perez said.