Last Monday, the debates on that dangerous Reproductive Health Bill began in Congress. It seems that this issue continues to confuse our people, especially Catholics. The Catholic Church opposed many of its salient provisions while the proponents of the bill try to pit the Protestant Churches or the Iglesia ni Kristo against the Catholic Church as a way of their “Dividing and Ruling” those who are opposed to this bill. Let’s go straight to the most objectionable parts of this proposal. Even an ordinary journalist would cringe if they read this very offensive provision.
I salute the charismatic group Couples for Christ for taking out half-page ads in the nation’s largest newspapers yesterday giving out a 5-point questionnaire, “Should you support Reproductive Health Bill No. 5043?” This is one quick questionnaire that everyone ought to look into, which would make a person decide whether he is for supporting the Reproductive Health bill or not. The five questions are:
1. As employers, do you agree to be compelled to provide free reproductive health care, services, supplies, devices and surgical procedures (including vasectomy and ligation) to your employees, and be subjected to both imprisonment and/or find, for every time that you fail to comply? Section 17 states that employers shall provide for the free delivery of reproductive health care services, supplies and devices to all workers more particularly women workers (read the Definition of Reproductive Health and Rights Section 4, paragraph G.)
2. As health care service providers, do you agree that you should be subjected to imprisonment and/or a fine, if you fail to provide reproductive health care services such as giving information on family planning methods and providing services like ligation and vasectomy, regardless of the patient’s civil status, religion or age? (Read section 21 on Prohibited Acts. Letter A, Paragraph 1 to 5 and Section 22 on Penalties.)
3. As a spouse, do you agree that your husband or wife can undergo a ligation or vasectomy without your consent or knowledge? (Read section 21 on Prohibited Acts, letter A Paragraph 2).
4. As parents, you do you agree that children from age 10 to 17 should be taught their sexual rights and the means to have a satisfying and “safe” sex life as part of their school curriculum? (Reproductive Health education will be mandatory from Grade 5 to the end of High School (See section 12 on Reproductive Health Education and Section 4 Definition of Family Planning and Reproductive Health, Paragraph b, c, and d).
5. Do you agree that you should be subjected to imprisonment and/or pay a fine, for expressing an opinion against any provision of this law, if such expression of opinion is interpreted as constituting “malicious disinformation”? (see section 21 on Prohibited Acts, Paragraph F and Section 22 on Penalties.)
At the end of each question is a yes or no box. I thoroughly examined each of them and I checked only the “no” box. Cebu media is celebrating the 14th Press Freedom Week and I’ll bet you that very few journalists have read the proposed Reproductive Health Bill. How much more for students, teachers and businessmen?
For us journalists, the fifth question on penalizing anyone for expressing an opinion against the Reproductive Health Bill (if God forbid, this becomes the law of the land) could end up with us paying a fine or imprisonment for the crime of “Malicious Disinformation”. My God! I would like to ask Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz where they got this word. Are they telling us that if we columnist wrote something that they find offensive against this law, we could all be penalized?
The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) under its President Dr. Edward Gaisano should also consult his members whether they agree with question number one asked by the Couples for Christ. Many employers would never agree to this provision, where it would be the responsibility of a company to provide condoms or other artificial contraceptives to its employees.
What about you parents out there? Would you allow Sex Education to start in Grade Five? I don’t think so. So before this bill passes into law, I suggest you get out of your chairs and sign your opposition to this bill that is being done by your parish. As the old saying goes, “For evil to triumph, it is enough for good men to do nothing!” We should not allow evil to triumph over us. Go out and make your voices known about the evils of this RH Bill!