Palace, CBCP okay technical group on RH bill

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic bishops and members of the cabinet of President Aquino agreed yesterday to form a technical working group that will recommend to both parties on how the government, in consultation with the Church, go about its family planning program.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that both parties agreed that there must be full disclosure of both the advantages and disadvantages of the normal method being espoused by the Catholic church and the artificial method that government may implement.

“Full information must be provided to the public on both natural and artificial methods of family planning. Information on benefits and risks would also be provided. We’re also forming a TWG so that details of information can be spelled out and discussed,” he said.

Lacierda clarified, however, that this committee’s job is only recommendatory in nature, and will be done in the spirit of transparency by way of consulting other stakeholders in the controversial Reproductive Health bill in Congress.

“The government will not be for­cing anyone. There is no compulsion on the part of the government. Details will be discussed in the TWG. We provide full information so that individuals will be fully apprised of its effects,” he added.

The main objective of such panel is to come up with a “universally-validated” method in addressing the population boom, which experts say may reach 150 million Filipinos by 2050, from 100 million this year.

“They (TWG members) will suggest the information that we will put into the campaign, but we have the final say. It will be a recommendation and it’s up to the plenary to decide. It should qualify and be universally-accepted by the scientific community,” Lacierda said.

According to him, TWG members will have to include “medical experts.”

Among those present in yesterday’s dialogue with bishops were medical experts, Health Secretary Enrique Ona, Lacierda, Presidential Management Staff chief Julia Abad and lawyer Jo Imbong, among others.

Moreover, The Reproductive Health Alliance Network (RHAN) yesterday welcomed the move of the Department of Health and the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to form a technical working group (TWG) for family planning.

“We welcome that. I hope that means that the CBCP is now open to hear other opinions on family planning. This is a welcome development,” said RHAN executive director Elizabeth Angsioco.

Angsioco said that RHAN is confident that the DOH would make sure that President Aquino’s stand on the equal promotion of natural and artificial methods of family planning would be upheld by the group. – With Sheila Crisostomo