CBCP website defaced before pro-life rally

Hours before a major pro-life Catholic group was to hold a vigil against the reproductive health (RH) bill, a website of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) was defaced Saturday morning. Visitors to the home page of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Health Care were greeted by an image of a man with his back turned to the viewer. "HackEd BY LordDem0n EgYpT!0n - H4Ck3r ... Your Security Can Not Face Us !!!" read the message on the defaced website.

The home page of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Health Care as of 10 a.m. Saturday. GMANews.TV

In some instances, the defaced home page even prompted visitors to download a plug-in. The hacker left an email address, a_0x@live.com, but did not say whether or not the cyberattack was related to Saturday night's prolife prayer vigil. On the other hand, other sections of the website appeared normal. Catholic Church officials are outspoken against the RH bill, which is now pending in Congress, for allowing artificial contraception methods. Bishops to RH bill advocates: Don't disrupt us As they prepared to hold a pro-life prayer vigil in southern Metro Manila on Saturday, a Catholic bishop appealed to advocates of the reproductive health bill not to disrupt their activity. Retired Manila Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr. said that while RH advocates are free to attend the El Shaddai's pro-life prayer vigil, organizers can drive them away if they try to interrupt the gathering. “If they are going there for the worship service, we will respect that but they should not do anything that would disrupt the vigil," Bacani, a spiritual adviser of the El Shaddai religious group, said in an article posted Friday night on the CBCP news site. Members of El Shaddai and other “pro-life" groups will gather in Parañaque City Saturday evening for a prayer vigil against the RH bill, which they insist promotes contraception. The gathering is a response to the call of Pope Benedict XVI for all Catholics worldwide to join the prayer vigil for "All Nascent of Human Life" on the eve of the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Friday night's call came nearly two months after tour guide Carlos Celdran disrupted a mass at the Manila Cathedral to protest a reported threat to excommunicate President Benigno Aquino III for his open stance on artificial contraception. At the time, Celdran referred to the anti-RH bishops as "Damaso," a fictional priest who fathered a girl in national hero Jose Rizal's novel "Noli Me Tangere." Last Nov. 20, a group of RH bill advocates tried to get inside the cathedral where a prayer vigil against RH bill was being held. The demonstrators decided to leave the cathedral after a 10-minute confrontation. Bacani said such actions by pro-RH advocates are "utter impoliteness" as he appealed to them not to show such disrespect again. Church to fight RH bill to the end Earlier, Lipa (Batangas) Archbishop Ramon Arguelles vowed the Catholic Church will continue to fight against the passage of the RH bill to the end. “Yes (we will oppose it no matter what happens) because that is our moral duty. It is our duty to promote the teachings of God. And the RH bill is definitely against the teachings of God," he said. Arguelles is the vice chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life. He accused lawmakers pushing for the RH bill of being hell-bent on forcing its passage into a law under the Aquino administration. “Masama talaga ito dahil it takes away the life of the unborn and it is also corruption dahil may perang involved diyan eh (It is bad because it takes away the life of the unborn. It is also considered corruption because funds were involved in its lobbying)," said the Lipa prelate. Last Wednesday, the House Committee on Population and Family held its first committee hearing on the controversial measure. Bacani wants 'proper' gov't survey on RH bill Bacani, meanwhile, dared the government to conduct a “proper" survey on the RH bill. He said the church is even willing to spearhead the survey. “Walang problema. Ako nga, sabi ko sa inyo, nasubukan ko na hindi lang 80 percent, kundi 100 percent ang pagtutol (No problem. I am sure 100 percent oppose the RH bill)," Bacani explained. He said this was the result of his own personal poll which, he said, is different from those conducted by popular survey firms since his survey "thoroughly explained" the contents of the RH bill. “Kasi sa survey, gusto niyo ba family planning? Sino naman hindi sasagot ng oo dun. Pero kung paliwanagan mo, gusto niyo ba ang gagawin na pagtulong sa inyo nakakapagpalaglag ng laman ng inyong sinapupunan? Hindi kasi pinapaliwanag yun sa ginagawang survey kaya dapat linawin kung ano talaga ang kahulugan ng bill (The surveys asked if you want family planning. Who doesn't? But if you explain that the family planning involves abortion, it's a different thing. So you have to explain it)," he said. The CBCP recalled a January 21-24 survey of Social Weather Stations where 68 percent of respondents agree that the government should have a policy on reproductive health by giving them free access to family planning services. In October 2008, Pulse Asia survey also revealed that 82 percent of the respondents think government should not only educate couples regarding modern methods of family planning but also provide them with services and materials on these methods. - TJD, GMANews.TV