Hail Manny Pacman: He is also our anti-RH hero

Rep. Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is back in Congress and was hailed as a hero complete with a Congressional Medal of Distinction, a citation and a party by his peers. But Pacman didn’t waste his time basking in his historic win and the accolades of his fellow Congressmen, but instead went for the jugular and categorically announced that he was four-square against the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, even adding that he didn’t read in the Bible that God gave a commandment to limit the number of children a couple can have.

This is a Catholic that makes me proud of my Catholicism. He called a presscon to tell his fellow Filipinos, including those pro-Reproductive Health (RH) supporters that he is not only against the RH Bill, he is also not in favor of condoms! Surely the statement from our international boxing hero must have turned off the pro-RH supporters, who as we’ve always believe already got an “advance” from the lobbyists who want the Philippines to cull its population. Shame on these pro-RH congressmen!

This statement from Pacman should send the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to make Pacman the poster boy for the Pro-Lifers. He is a shot in the breeze in what would have been an uphill battle. But hey, compared to the lags of Rep. Edcel Lagman or even the former Health Sec. Esperanza Cabral, who would know that a stiff opposition against the RH bill would come from a lowly Pinoy boxer? But don’t belittle Pacman; he doesn’t shoot from the hip. He knows what he’s talking about, especially in this fight against the RH bill.

Incidentally, former Health Sec. Esperanza Cabral was interviewed by Karen Davila yesterday morning on ANC, grinning that Pope Benedict XVI had allowed the use of condoms, clearly trying to deceive the TV audience that the Pope had opened the floodgates with the unbridled use of the condom. When Karen Davila told her that this was not a blanket approval to use condom, but only in extreme cases to prevent AIDS, only then did she back down a bit. This proves our point that those supporting the RH bill would cajole, deceive or fool anyone who would believe in what they say. I call them intrinsically evil.

Cabral also showed her ignorance about the AIDS virus, which is only 1 microns small, while invisible holes in a condom is at least 5 microns in size; hence, wearing a condom doesn’t necessarily mean that you are safe from AIDS. So Pacman was right when he said, “You should practice self-control.” Now that comes from a boxer who has proven to the world that the only time his face comes close to the canvass is when he kneels down and pray. I salute you Manny, not just for your stunning victory, but your conviction and fear of God, something that other Catholics should embrace.

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We’ve been writing stories about the activities of the Task Force on Trafficking Against Persons. Yesterday, the Province of Cebu’s Inter-Agency Task Force on Criminality held an orientation seminar on the Operation Tipsters and Local Witness Protection Programs, where all the police chiefs from the municipalities from the entire Province of Cebu were in full attendance. First to speak was Regional Inter-Agency Council Anti-Trafficking (RIACAT) Head Hon. Fernando K. Gubalane who praised Gov. Gwen F. Garcia on her relentless campaign against illegal fishing, that the Governor “walked her talk!”

In her speech, Gov. Garcia pointed out that indeed she “walked her talk” by putting Provincial funds where it is needed most, in the Tipsters and Witness Protection Programs. But she warned all the PNP officers in the Social Hall: “I mean business here! This is not only up to the launching of this program and for photo ops, which I dislike! I want a clear cut performance from the police to implement the law at its fullest. This means, you spare no one and uphold the law and I really mean it so that the atmosphere of peace and order will prevail in our beloved Cebu Province!”

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Allow me to push for a worthy project called the “Gift of Life Chorale Concert that will be held this December 6, 2010 at the Pacific Ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel hosted by the Rotary Club of Cebu (Mother). This concert will feature the award-winning choirs of the University of San Carlos (USC), the University of Southern Philippines (USP), the University of Cebu (UC) and the Cebu Normal University (CNU). There will be two shows, a matinee at 1:00PM and a gala dinner at 7:00PM. Tickets are available for students at P100 for matinee and at P1,000 for the gala dinner. The proceeds for this project will go to the Gift of Life International (GOLI), a global non-profit organization that helps children with congenital heart defects, which have helped children from over 64 countries. For tickets please Bernard Sia at 0917-323-3332.