Pro-life parents drop class suit vs sex ed

Pro-life parents dropped on Thursday the class suit they filed against former Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Mona Valisno for implementing sex education in schools. Lawyer Jo Aurea Imbong, one of the petitioners, said her group decided to withdraw from the case because Valisno has already vacated her post, now occupied by Secretary Armin Luistro, a Lasallian Brother. Imbong, who lost her senatorial bid in the May 2010 elections, is the executive secretary of the Legal Office of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, which has long been vocal in opposing sex education and the Reproductive Health Bill. Luistro, former president of the De La Salle University, earlier promised to review the controversial program and hold consultations with Church officials first before deciding on its fate. Imbong was quoted in a QTV Balitanghali report as saying her group would not be pushing through with the class suit filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, until Luistro comes up with his views and decision on the much-debated reproductive health program. DepEd Assistant Secretary Teresita Inciong welcomed the dropping of charges, adding that the government's "Adolsecence Reproductive Health Module," being branded by some as "sex education," is still undergoing "review and enhancements." The DepEd said the pilot testing for the sex education program started in almost 200 schools nationwide after classes started in June. The testing has already been completed in 80 of these 200 schools and the results are already being reviewed to determine the modifications needed. The teaching of sex education in public and private schools, in the elementary and high school levels, was based on DepEd Memorandum No. 26. Critics of the order said the memo was unconstitutional and arbitrary, and violates parents' rights to be responsible for the development of their children's moral character. Critics also feared that the education would only promote promiscuity among young individuals. The DepEd responded by saying the modules to be used in the program were "age-appropriate." Valisno stressed the need to implement the program because there was already "an international concern for young girls and boys" regarding reproductive health." She assured that the sex education program would integrate the moral component of sex. –VVP, GMANews.TV