CBCP official to Noynoy: State stand on RH bill in SONA

A Catholic Church official urged President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to state publicly his position on the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill in his first State of the Nation Address on July 26. Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Family and Life, said on Thursday Aquino should lay down his plan regarding family planning. “His next years at the helm of the government would show if he believes our populace is an asset or liability ... Our appeal to him is prioritize good governance and poverty would be solved," Castro said in an article posted on the CBCP news site. Earlier, Philippine bishops urged Aquino to reject current policies that promote artificial contraception to control the country’s growing population. CBCP President Nereo Odchimar said the government must protect the sanctity of life by putting an end to contraceptive mentality. Odchimar said the bishops hope the new administration will not pursue programs that promote the use of contraceptives such as condoms and pills. The CBCP cited a recent United Nations Population Fund survey that showed about a third of some 3.1 million pregnancies in the Philippines end in abortion each year. The report also revealed that only 21.6 percent of Filipino women use artificial contraception, 68.4 do not use any contraceptive method and 9.9 percent use natural methods. The Church promotes only natural family planning, teaching that artificial contraception violates God’s plan and the dignity of marriage. Aquino has been known to be in favor of the reproductive health bill, saying he wants contraceptives to be available in government health centers, the CBCP noted. –VVP, GMANews.TV