No compromise on RH bill, sex ed, Cardinal Vidal says

The Catholic church would not enter into any compromise deal with the incoming administration of President-elect Benigno Aquino III when it comes to sex education and the Reproductive Health bill. Radio dzBB reported Sunday that Cebu Archbishop Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal stressed on the importance of consulting with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines before the Aquino administration makes any decision on these pressing matters. The RH bill would fund to the population program on a national scale and promote information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods that are medically safe and legally permissible. The Education Department, on the other hand, intended to include sex education in the general curriculum of elementary and secondary schools as part of subjects like Health, Filipino, Science, and Livelihood Education. The incoming president knows where the church stands on sex education and the RH bill, radio dzBB said, referring to what the Archbishop of Cebu had said in an interview. Vidal also said he would like to become Aquino’s spiritual adviser, something he would like to discuss with the incoming president should they get the chance to meet in the coming days. At this point, however, the cardinal said he would be offering prayers on behalf of the president-elect knowing the responsibilities Aquino would be shouldering once he takes over the reins of the country’s leadership. —VS, GMANews.TV