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El Shaddai to mobilize members vs reproductive health bill


MANILA, Philippines - Brother Mike Velarde, the charismatic leader of the influential El Shaddai movement, is willing to mobilize his more than eight million followers to support the Catholic Church in its fight against the possible passage of a reproductive health bill currently pending in the House of Representatives. “We will (mobilize them). Sapagkat para ma-realize ng taong bayan na (so that the public will realize that) we are being deceived by these people who are pushing for it (bill)," Velarde told QTV’s Balitanghali in an interview Wednesday. “The people’s choice cannot be legislated," added Velarde, who said he had personally read the bill and found several provisions in it immoral. Velarde said his main opposition to the bill is the provision about the government supplying birth control pills to the public. “Where will they (government) get the money? Siyempre sa (Of course from) taxpayers. This is an unwise use of the people’s money because this is not a productive endeavor," he said. The El Shaddai leader said instead of pushing for the bill that promotes the use of artificial birth control methods, it would be better if the lawmakers would promote and educate the public on the proper family planning. “I-educate natin ang tao tungkol diyan at turuan natin itong ating taong bayan na gamitin ang kanilang natural talent and resources… yan ang ating pagka-abalahan, hindi yung pagtutulak ng mga drogang ito na para matigil ang pagdami ng population (Let’s educate our people about using their natural talent and resources in family planning instead of promoting these birth control drugs)," he said. Velarde said the decision on how to plan the family is best left to the people involved and not to the government. He also shared the claim of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) that the provision in the bill that promised assistance to those who committed abortion is in a way promoting the act. “Ine-encourage talaga nila ang (They are really encouraging) abortion rather than penalizing these abortionists, which is illegal," Velarde said. On Friday, the CBCP, together with the El Shaddai, will stage a prayer rally in University of Santo Tomas to protest and call for the immediate scrapping of the reproductive health bill in the lower house. The Church expects to gather hundreds of its supporters to include students from Catholic schools. - GMANews.TV
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