Right to life

 The Philippines is undoubtedly one of the many countries that upholds the sacredness of human life and protects the right to life. In fact according to Pope Francis, “the right to life is the first among human rights.” Actually, in this jurisdiction, the right to life is not merely a moral but a legal principle well enshrined in our Constitution which contains several provisions protecting such invaluable right.

Thus in Article II on the “Declaration of Principles” the “protection of life” is one of those considered as “essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy.” Then in the same Article II on “State Policies,” the State is mandated to “equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception” (Section 12). Also in Article III on the “Bill of Rights”, it is provided that “No person shall be deprived of “Life”… without due process of law.”

Our fundamental law indeed highly values human life to the extent of prohibiting the imposition of the death penalty, “unless for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes, the Congress… provides for it” (Section 19, Article III). Our Criminal Law or the Revised Penal Code (Act No. 3815 as Amended) on the other hand specifically protects the life of a child (1) before birth by severely penalizing “intentional and unintentional abortion” or the expulsion of the fetus from the uterus before it is capable of carrying on its own independent life”; and (2) infanticide or the killing of the child after birth who is less than three days of age (Articles 255 to 259).

To be sure, in order to “instill the value and sacredness of human life in the minds and hearts of the Filipino people” and thereby reverse the “statistical trend showing the frightening losses of innocent human lives by abortion” and “in pursuance of the Constitutional mandate to protect the life of the mother and of the unborn from conception,” Presidential Proclamation 214 was even issued on Feb. 3, 1988, by then President Cory Aquino declaring the second week of February as “Respect And Care For Life” week.

But 27 years later, the opposite of what was intended by such proclamation on the sacredness and value of human life and on the protection of the right to life is now starting to take place in our land. The irony here is that Cory Aquino’s own son, Benigno S. Aqino III who is now our President has taken an active hand in thwarting the purpose of such proclamation by actively pushing for the enactment of the Reproductive Health Law sponsored by foreign lobbyists which want to impose worldwide population control through abortion.

According to the son, the RH law is merely intended to enable women especially the poor, to exercise responsible parenthood by limiting the number of children in the family through the use of contraceptives and thus preventing the birth of children who may just live in poverty. Whether this reasoning is valid or not, or whether law promotes abortion or not, are now issues Supreme Court to decide. So it is not proper for me to discuss about them here.

A recent conference held here however has somehow established the connection between this RH law and the promotion of abortion. This is the 7th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights held at the PICC last Jan. 22-23 actively organized by International Planned Parenthood, the number one promoter of abortion worldwide. Obviously, this conference has somehow erased the remaining doubts that this Reproductive Health being introduced by the RH law indeed promotes abortion. And when the Aquino government allowed such conference to be held here, the impression conveyed is that it has really no objection to abortion as a means of controlling our population.  

So it is quite timely that pursuant to Proclamation 214, the month of February every year and for the past 27 years is being celebrated as “Pro-Life Month”. This is the month specially “dedicated to the preservation and respect for human life and the sanctity of marriage and the Filipino Family” This year’s theme is “Year of the Laity, Year of Life, Hand in Hand towards a Pro-Life Nation. It will start on Feb. 2, 2014, Pro-Life Sunday, with a Eucharistic Celebration at San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila at 10 a.m organized by Pro-Life Philippines Foundation Inc.

As Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes DD, chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, said: “We need more lay people to stand for life, to be champions of the poor, the weak, and the innocent. We are waging a spiritual war and our laity should stand at the forefront of our temporal realities that help build the spiritual Kingdom of God — frontlines in politics, mass and social media, commerce and public service should be filled with holy and knowledgeable Catholics in order for the Gospel to spread to everyone and every place and institution. The defense of our deeply held values on life, family and marriage is a worthwhile reason for us Catholics to step up and make our presence felt.

Every effort must be undertaken to keep the culture of death away from our nation. As Pope Francis said… “A population that does not take care of the elderly and of the children and the young has no future because it abuses both its memory and its promise.”

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