Church-based group's march vs condom use set Saturday in Manila

Pro-life march and a boycott against contraceptive products will highlight the actions of the country’s biggest organization of Catholic men against condoms and artificial contraception. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the Knights of Columbus (KC) will start marching early Saturday to seek an end to government’s aggressive contraceptive campaign. “We challenge the government to redefine its attitude to contraceptives," KC Luzon deputy Alonzo Tan, who is organizing a rally in Manila, said on the CBCP Website. Tan said he expected some 5,000 to 6,000 protesters to march from Intramuros to Rajah Sulayman Park in Malate, Manila, on Saturday morning. Protest organizers also expect participation to be higher than last year in Metro Manila alone. Last year, thousands of “Knights" packed the streets of major cities from Luzon to Mindanao in a massive show of their clout. The rallies come as lawmakers in Congress were debating on a measure that seeks to control the country’s growing population through promotion of contraceptives such as condoms and pills. Government legislation that would have created what it touted as a measure on maternal health care failed last year because Congress ran out of time to deliberate on the matter. Saturday’s “Walk for Life" will kick off with a 6 a.m. concelebrated Mass at the San Agustin Church to be presided by Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco. Simultaneous rallies will also be held in Baguio, Bayombong, Tuguegarao, Tarlac, San Fernando (Pampanga), Cebu, Iloilo and Davao. Knights of Columbus claims to have 1.7 million members around the world, including 250,000 members in the Philippines. “Like what others are saying, we believe that there’s no such thing as safe sex. Widespread and indiscriminate promotion of condoms is an immoral and misguided weapon in our battle against AIDS," Tan said. —LBG, GMANews.TV