Conversations with pro-RH and watching debates on TV made me realize these new reasons why I’m against the RH Bill:
1) It condones negligent parents by saying: “Parents are irresponsible. Who else will teach the children on sex? The Government needs to intervene.”
2) It also condones corruption in government: “Alam naman nating mahirap pugsain ang corruption sa Pilipinas. When else will we start helping the poor?”
3) It demeans the ability of the poor to practice discipline in NFP. “Natural doesn’t always seem to work for the very poor that’s why they have 6-11 children :)” – Karen Davila
4) For the sake of choice, the pro-RH wants the poor to choose between natural and Group 1 carcinogens (contraceptive pills), and provide the latter for free.
5) The pro-RH are “not aware” of the abortifacient nature of contraceptive pills. Their comment? “In my opinion, they are not abortifacients.” Now medicine has become a matter of opinion. Add to that the opinion on where life begins.
6) The pro-RH will always downplay the obvious connection of contraception and abortion as if they are two different advocacies in the real pro-life stand. They will not answer the question of Plan B if contraception fails.
7) Rep. Hontiveros’ idea of sex education is contradicting: A – bstinence, B-e monogamous, and C-ontraception. Why put abstinence and contraception together? Why A if there is C? Why C if there is A?
8 ) Carlos Celdran is one name-calling pro-RH. No need to elaborate. (Rep. Hontiveros needs to tame him down.)
9) The pro-RH camp would last resort to destroying the person (and the Church) in their defense. These politicians do not know how to engage in a sustained reasonable debate. Can they just stick to the issue?
On NFP.
Pro-RH: “If it is so great, then why hasn’t the church teach about it with vigor like what they’re screaming about it now?”
Me: “Naku, you put in the Church na into our discussion. I wanted to keep the Church out of it. Now that you mentioned it, let’s put the Church in.”
Pro-RH: “My bad. I thought your linking it to there stand [sic].”
10) “Iba ang moralidad niyo sa moralidad ko.” – Dr. Sylvia Caludio. Aba! Then why should we let you impose your morality that contraception and abortion are okay on us? Dr. Claudio by the way is the chairman of WGNRR, an organization that supports abortion. “[Dr. Claudio] and her org can promote it all she wants. I don’t, and will not start advocating it.” – Ms. Lea Salonga.
11) The RH Bill is filed under the Commission on Population and Development. But they push on health benefits. It should then be files under Health, di ba? I smell something fishy.
Why I support the Catholic Church in its fight against the RH Bill:
1) The Church believes that the poor are human persons who are capable of practicing discipline.
2) She has been consistent in her arguments against the RH Bill. There is no need for strategy changes.
3) They protect the real essence of the woman, her uterus, by keeping the dangerous pills from destroying it.
4) The Church does help save the women’s lives by not promoting Group 1 carcinogens (e.g. contraceptive pills).
5) She supports PNoy’s slogan: “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.”
6) The pronoun for the Catholic Church is actually female.
7) The Church has always been pro-poor: Caritas. Visit the website, you’ll see the programs for the poor there. Some Catholics are active also in helping the poor: Gawad Kalinga.
A brief message for those who claim themselves to be Catholics but are pro-RH: Have you read the Catechism of the Catholic Church? For sure, you haven’t. I suggest you read it. It’s very reasonable. It is “faith seeking understanding.” Then, and only then, can we have a decent discussion involving the Church without destroying its credibility.
I am entitled to my own realizations, and these are just based on my experiences. For sure there are exceptions to these instances. When I sound like I am generalizing, I am only referring to the people I had been exposed to.
My blog, my rules. For a change, comments section will only be dedicated to understanding the side of those against the RH Bill. This blog will be dedicated to fully understanding the Anti-RH Bill side. I expect questions about and supporting facts for the Anti-RH stand in the comments section. Any comment posted that doesn’t follow the rules will not be posted. ☺
Cheers!
For those who are complaining that my opinion is not based on studies:
1. Legal critique of the unconstitutionality of the RH Bill
2. Economic effects of the RH Bill
3. Another opinion, but since we patronize US opinion: from the Wall Street Journal
4. Since we also treat UP Professors with high regard, we can give this professor the benefit of the doubt that she’s saying something sensible: RH Bill is anti-women
Whiteboard 
Very good post! GOD loves you! GOD bless!
Thank you very much for this very enlightening Blog! It kind of clearly articulating what I have observed to in the so many debates I watched and sometimes participated in facebook. The Pro-RH can’t show any study or research that could support their contention that this RH Bill is necessary for the Filipinos, especially the poor and the marginalized, yet they keep on making excuses at the expense of the poor. May those who closed their minds and those who are still undecided can really search the truth and set them free from their misconceptions and misunderstanding. Thanks and God bless you and family!
very well said… cheers!
Very nice, exactly the point of the church, very intellectual. RH bill is a bill for tamad. Ang dapat ay pagtitika at pagtitimpi
tama. ang rh bill ay para sa mga taong takot sa obligasyon!…
May our GOOD LORD JESUS bless you for this very interesting and enlightening POST for all of us. WE continue PRAYING and we continue to UPHOLD THE TRUTH for the SAKE OF THE KINGDOM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for MAKING A DIFFERENCE! Praying for you . . . and your CRUSADE IN LIFE.
Tama! This issue is again brewing… and your thoughts about it are again relevant.. thanks!
Nice. May I repost?
Sure! 🙂
worth reading. I am a Caritas volunteer and it’s actually the Church of the Poor. We were even sent to a one week seminar on NFP which we are now giving to our Urban partners. …the informal settlers of the Archdiocese of Manila…to educate for them to make decisions themselves. Those Pro-RH Bill are just in a hurry to dispose all those contraceptive pills banned abroad. Ginagawa na naman tayong basurahan at the expense of the poor.
astig! thank you for shedding more light… i’m gonna share this site…
Excellent and enlightening! Continue to spread the word. God bless
Thanks for this. Poor people are not animals that just act according to their instincts. The poor also have intellect and will like every human being. Therefore, they can be formed to know the truth and choose what is right. Sure that will take some time but it can be done. I hope the proponents of the bill stop using the poor and start respecting them.
Amen! Yes, the poor are more than just mouths to feed indeed. They are first and foremost souls that need to be respected and taken care of. 🙂
🙂 Good job, Teacher Twish! 😀 May God bless you more and more! 🙂 See you Saturday at EDSA Shrine! 😀
See ya! We can’t sit behind our computers anymore defending life. We need to go out to the streets and show them what WILL and PRAYER power really means! 😀
Those new reasons you’ve posted are enlightening. The government should educate the people and not just sex educate them. That way, people can decide for themselves.
Thank you very much for your stand. Join us on August 4, 2012 at Edsa Shrine 1 to 6pm. It will be a prayer rally and a stand against RH Bill. Lets shout our hearts out and pray to God what we are standing here for. I pray that many people will read your blog and be enlightened with it. God bless you.
Yes! I will be there at EDSA tomorrow! See you crusaders! 🙂
On your 1st point “The Church believes that the poor are human
persons who are capable of practicing discipline”, if this is true then why ate there so many children on the streets, in depressed areas? Where is the discipline? The RH bill does not force people to use contraception, it only gives them options. It all boils down to how the people will choose whats right for them.
Some families have 6 children, maybe more. Do you know how much money you need to send a child to school? To feed them correctly? To give them shelter? It takes a considerable amount, even middle class people have difficulty giving these to their children. How much more the marginalized? People should face the fact that our population is too big especially in metro manila. Resources are limited. There will come a point when there is not enough for everyone.
Discipline, my dear sir, is not in born. The same goes to sacrifice, humility, authentic concern for the poor, charity, GENEROSITY, and many other virtues. They are taught and practiced. The Church has been, from the pulpits, through Catechists, and other NGO’s, teaching the poor about Christ’s virtues.
Again, you proved my point that people who are for the RH Bill demean the capacity of the poor. Thank you for your thoughts.
You are correct, discipline is not in born but all of us have every right to choose and choose with the right information given to us. Like I said, the bill will not force you to use contraceptives. It does not prevent you from doing anything (well except for abortion which is still illegal under the law).
There are so many teenage pregnancies happening today, how can the parents support the child when they themselves are still asking support from their parents? How can the parents guide the child to become responsible citizens when they themselves are still learning how to be responsible? Some are lucky to be shown generosity, concern and charity but unfortunately so much more is not that lucky. Would you think that would have happened when they know the consequences or have the knowledge to prevent pregnancy in the first place?
My comment also does not mean I demean the capacity of the poor. I was just answering your 1st point and all your references to the poor in this article. This happens to everybody, rich or poor, but especially the uninformed. Would you prevent them from being informed of their options?
Give them right information about their choices? If they are given right information on OCPs and IUDs, I’m sure they would not choose them over NFP.
You don’t turn parents into responsible parents by giving them information on OCPs and IUDs. I agree that their pregnancy wouldn’t have happened when they know the consequences of having sex. However, you actually think that they don’t know the consequence of having sex? I also agree that they should also prevent pregnancy, but NATURALLY. OCPs and IUDs are harmful to the woman’s health.
You actually also think that I’d be a fool enough not to see right through you when you didn’t “mean” to “demean the capacity of poor”? Come on. Now don’t go discussing semantics.
Re informed choices, I’d go for an RH Bill that gives information on ALL the ill effects of IUDs and OCPs, and even of the failure rate of condoms. These are not essential medicines — that they will die or get sick if they don’t take them. I just totally disagree about being “pro-choice” because we both know that our definition of freedom is different. If we differ there, then there’s no further discussion necessary on your pro-choice advocacy.
Last note: What will they do if these “essential medicines” fail them? Does the RH Bill have something about constituents getting breast cancer because of the synthetic estrogen in the OCPs? Or DOH forgot to remove the IUD from the mother’s womb? Is there insurance for the women who will be given these “essential medicines”?
Ippo’s “People should face the fact that our population is too big especially in metro manila” makes me think RH Bill is really about population control contrary to what others have been claiming that it is not.
Let us choose on how not to get pregnant. Be it natural or using contraceptives.
RH bill does not give all the answers. But it does provide you an avenue to know more. When people go to the govt hospitals and clinics and asks the doctors, its the doctor’s responsibility to explain to them the side effects, limitations and also their benefits. Yes Im saying there are side effects and limitations but compared to Natural, Ill gladly use a condom. There’s a much bigger chance of preventing STD’s. The side effects does not need to be included in the bill, its the doctor’s responsibility since these things keep on improving.
RH bill also don’t make us responsible citizens. Proper guidance from the Church and our parents will. But look at where we are now. Cases of AIDS, abortion, teenage pregnancy are on the rise. What would you say now those suffering because of these problems? “Sorry Natural method does not prevent AIDS”? “We forgot to tell you, Natural method is hard to execute especially when you are at the ‘moment'”?
To ‘clang’, don’t judge the bill based on what I say here. Don’t base your opinions on what I say, on what the Gov’t says, or even what the Church says. Read and understand the bill then take your stand.
“Yes Im saying there are side effects and limitations but compared to Natural, Ill gladly use a condom. There’s a much bigger chance of preventing STD’s.” You’ll only get STD’s if you have had multiple sex partners. 🙂
People who understand and appreciate NFP are monogamous couples. Just saying.
Regarding your cases of AIDS, abortion (may verifiable stats ba?), and teenage pregnancies: These are only rising now during the age of modern contraception and homosexual relations. Go figure. Besides, I don’t mean to sound like I’m belittling statistics, but the numbers are not at all “scary” as you may put it. Check out Thailand cases and US cases. Now those are SCARY numbers.
Do take note that our AIDS instances are still 80% attributed to homosexual relations. Abortion? Let’s not talk about that. Stats are unverifiable and according to Dr. Nathanson, he did admit that he invented abortion stats to prove that abortion should be legalized. Again, just saying.
Correct, you get STD when you have multiple sex partners. Incorrect, not all monogamous partners understand NFP. Anyway, these things happen whether we like it or not. That is the reality of things. Christian or non Christian, straight or not, that should not stop the government from taking action as long as it is within the bounds of the constitution. That’s why we have a separation of church and state, because a country does not constitute or give preference to only one religion.
What is the correlation between AIDS, abortion, etc from modern contraception? Homosexual relations, maybe yes but it does happen to heterosexual ones? Lets not talk about homosexuality for now since its not the topic. Low statistics compared to other countries or the lack of it should not be a reason for us to just turn a blind eye on the issue. It should be taken as an example and fact that it can happen to us if there is no action.
What I’m trying to say here is the RH bill can give us an channel to learn, be informed, and have access to contraceptives. It all boils down to what the people choose, and how the people choose is how the churches can guide the people.
I agree that not all monogamous partners understand NFP. I never said that all monogamous do. What I said was those who understand NFP are monogamous couples. 🙂
The problem is that the RH Bill is not within the bounds of constitution. I can refer you to a comprehensive critique on the contents of the bill.
Re separation of Church and state. The definition is still debatable even among lawyers. We both cannot use this as an argument.
Like what I said, I don’t mean to belittle statistics. While it is still low, we need to discuss chastity and NFP more before it gets worse.
Re RH Bill being a tool to learn, I think schools are the real channels to learn. Put the P3B there so PNoy stops blaming the population for not having enough classrooms. 🙂
Here’s the link to the critique on the unconstitutionality of the RH Bill. Consume if you wish. Do check out the rest of the blog. You will find some articles that will help enlighten you more on why we are strongly against it. What we ask is a bit of your understanding. May the God I praise and thank bless you.
On this I agree. Education is the key and the home and schools are the best channels for this. But it has come to a point where those institutions are lacking and we have to debate on these issues that should be the responsibility of the families in the first place.
I’m glad you agree that it’s the families’ responsibility to educate their children and the children they bear. The government’s role is to support the families however big they are. The government cannot continue with its lame excuse that it cannot do its job well because his constituents are just too many and the parents are irresponsible.
Last link I want to share with you is this one: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/368326/vote-no-to-rh-bill.
Hope this also shows a different side to our defense. Hope you learn a thing or two. I don’t mean to argue with anyone. So I hope that you can read this article with an open mind. Learning is also an act of the will. You can choose to understand our side or choose to find reasons to debunk our very reasonable stance.
@ippomanila:Do you think that the RH bill will teach Filipinos discipline? Looking at statistics, poor families have more children than the non-poor. You posted:
On your 1st point “The Church believes that the poor are human persons
who are capable of practicing discipline”, if this is true then why ate there
so many children on the streets, in depressed areas?
Where is the discipline?
Kung madami nga pong bata sa kalsada at sa depressed areas, bakit naman po sa disiplina sila nagkulang? In the first place, bakit sila napupunta sa depressed areas? Hindi po ba mataas lang ang population density sa metro manila, bakit po overpopulated agad?
I’m taking Bachelor of Science in Statistics in UP and I’m in my fourth year. There are professionals in my field who claim that statistics, mostly from government agencies (include NSO), have very poor reliability. Poor po mostly ang data collection. And you were refering to correlation po. Magkaiba po ang correlation sa percentage statistics na mas madalas pinepresent. If there’s a correlation estimate po, sa binanggit niyong ‘low statistics,’ paki-post po yung estimate at source niyo. It’s not just that I’m talking statistical here, I want to know if your argument is sound. Hindi po kasi ako naniniwala. 🙂
It will not teach discipline. Like I said earlier family, school, and church can do that but its lacking…look where we are now. RH will give ALL of us choices and information. It does not force anyone to use anything, its still your choice if you want to use contraceptives. Currently all of us are free to use contraceptives. Most of us can afford it, do our own research on it, know its pros and cons but how about those without access? Should we deny them of these options? If you don’t believe on using contraceptives then don’t use it. Nobody is forcing you to.
Mataas nga ang population density kaya overpopulated and isang lugar. Limited resources at limited space pero madaming tao kaya nga nasa kalsada ang karamihan. Try mong bumisita sa Sampaloc Manila, maski hindi sa depressed areas. Tinangnan mo lang ang mga tao, nasa kalsada silang lahat. Ang bahay ay dikit dikit at nasa sidewalks na. Hindi ba over populated area ang tawag dun? FYI, may mga mas malalala pang lugar kumpara sa area na sinabi ko.
Linawin ko lang, wala akong issue kung 20 ang anak mo basta kaya mo silang buhayin at bigyan ng maayos na buhay. Pero kung nahihirapan ka nang buhayin ang maski isa pero gawa ka pa din ng gawa e nandoon ang problema. Sa mga lalaki, kung hindi ka “makapagpigil” e gumamit ka ng condom..pero pano naman nila malalaman yun kung wala silang access diba?
This is what I have been telling people. Listen then if you have ears.
Madam, you have the gift of writing and I admire your tenacity. You are so very right on all points. It’s a challenge for me to even get their senses right in billing the “I am Catholic, I am Pro-RH” nonsense. I don’t want the state teaching my kids what I believe should be taught at a proper time… not from grades 5 to highschool as stipulated on the RB 4244, section 16 (RH bill, consolidated version).
Let’s get to the streets and let us make them hear out our voice as parents and practice our freedom as citizens of the Republic.
Family Planning during the Marcos Era did not eradicate poverty and, I, personally, do not see how the RH Bill will finally resolve the same perennial issue. It is not this generation but the next who will bear the brunt and suffer the long term effects of RH Bill which is all together sinister.
“Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” is a fallacy as corruption is the effect of poverty and not the cause of it.
Greed is the cause of corruption. Not poverty. If no one is corrupt, all the money that should go to the poor instead of the politician’s pockets will go a long way to helping the poor get out of their jobless states.
The RH bill is a band-aid solution to poverty. Moreover, I believe that the budget that would be allocated for the procurement of contraceptives could go a long way in providing education, job opportunities for the poor and the improvement of health facilities in the country. Gusto kasi madalian. Kung gusto talaga ng ilang legislators yung RH Bill na yan, gamitin nila yung mga Pork Barrel nila!
Agree… very we’ll said… can i share this…
If you study the press releases regarding birth mortality rates objectively, it is obvious that the major reason is the lack of basic healthcare. It’s a very glaring fact, right from the DOH secretary himself! My home province has a hospital where few people want to go because there are more complications than solutions that happen there. In fairness to the medical practitioners there, the resources are wanting. I know of other people who have the same problem in their home provinces. Government manages to allocate budgets for building these hospitals but the resources necessary to make them operationally sound are wanting. Directing the allocation for this proposed program to a total health program instead is the better option. The counter move should be Total Healthcare for the whole family.
the church cares for the true essence of a woman. what then is the church’s stand on homosexuals?
Please rephrase your statement. Sounds like you skipped a premise.
The pro-RH says the risks of pregnancy outweighs the pill’s breast cancer risk. But why expose women to carcinogens when you can also effectively plan births using natural family planning without this unnecessary health risk? Why spend more money on contraceptives (billions. Every year.) when this could have been used to purchase maternal health care medications and build birthing facilities that can help make pregnancy (a normal, physiologic state. Not a disease) less risky? People who cry “11 mothers die every day” should answer these.
There’s even a study (I believe Malcolm Gladwell saw this) that if a woman regularly bears a child, the risk for breast cancer is even lower. This is happening in an African tribe (and Malcolm found that research work!). And the mother’s health would even improve considering that she has optimized her child-bearing years. Isn’t that amazing? Why can’t the Pro-RH come up with a research work like that? I guess they’re more busy trying to find the fund that would pay for their quasi-research work.
I wish I had time to print it before today…
Amazing young lady. You are awesome! I shared your post; I assumed you don’t mind. Many thanks.
Pro-RH and Anti-RH (hopefully) have the same thing in mind: To alleviate poverty in the country. All I can say is, the Pro-RH are barking at the wrong tree. Population control will never be the solution. In the long run, it will cause extreme harm to our people and our country as a whole.
very well said. salamat po sa info.. I also repost.. tnx
I would like to ask your permission that I will be reposting your article in my blog..thanks…
Nice post. Yes we are entitled to our own realizations. I am a taxpayer and I don’t want my hard earned money to be used by government to buy condoms and contraceptives for allegedly “poor people who can’t discipline themselves?” (An argument which is an insult actually because the poor need food, shelter and education NOT condoms and carcinogen-laced pills). NO to RH Bill.
This is the right way to handle these Pro-RH. They are always saying they are for correcting the ignorance of poor people. I believe your blog would put out the ignorance of these Pro-RHs. I am truly aghast with they manipulate the way the Bill is worded. Yet they do not understand, for example, the pills that would be given out are abortifacient! They believe it is not.
Thank you for this comprehensible blog.
This should be spread.
Para po sakin, isa lang naman yan eh….Tayong mga babae, gusto po ba natin na araw-araw may iniinom tayong pills? Gusto po ba natin na every month or what may pinapasok na IUD or yung tinatawag nilang “injectables”? Gusto rin po ba natin na may papasok na condom sa ating ari? Di po ba mas masarap makipagtalik sa taong mahal mo na may disiplina, may pagmamahal, may respeto sa katawan mo at higit sa lahat ang pakikipagtalik ay regalo ng Panginoon sa atin.
Sabi ni Fr. John when he had his homily a long time ago in our church. Pang syam na anak sya, kung nagcondom or nagpills ang nanay nya, eh di wala sya ngayon sa mundo. Eh di nabawasan pa tayo ng pari.
Salamat. And post more articles like this.
please also read the ff: http://www.mydailyrace.com/?p=2376
http://www.rappler.com/nation/9827-full-text-house-bill-4244
Done reading them. Here, read my share: http://fightrhbill.blogspot.com/2012/02/atty-jose-sison-reminds-congressmen-why.html and http://yfc.tumblr.com/post/4227473736/9-reasons-why-i-oppose-the-rh-bill-hb-5043-in-simple
Here’s my share as well..
The proponents have spoken. Are you still denying it?
The proponents are still denying about this. They wouldn’t like to admit that this RH Bill will eventually lead to proposing abortion as the next best step. I’m just so disgusted with these guys. They should be researching more on this.
Hi ate! I find your article very reasonable. Thank you for the enlightenment and God bless! 🙂
Of all the arguments against the RH Bill, #’s 4 and 11 are the best ones. These are the strongest physical evidences against this case.
Item 6, the last sentence is true though the other sentences before that is debatable.
For # 7, still a bit questionable. The argument depends on how “contraception” is defined.
Reasons 2 and 3 have scenarios that feed off each other.
Argument 10 is fairly questionable. There is a very thin line between argumentum ad populum and perceived religious supremacy.
The last sentence of item no. 5 is fairly related to Number 10. What profession do those guys belong when they said “In my opinion, they are not abortifacients.” — who said that?
Numbers 8 and 9 are fairly sensitive points; these point out argumenta ad hominem of the other party. Since when did two wrongs make a right?
Fr. Villegas’ argument is good…if the children also have a “work smart, work hard, play/party hard” mentality, or else, his “goose that lays the golden eggs” argument is worthless.