Palace: Responsible parenthood bill not a population control measure

The responsible parenthood (RP) bill is not a population control measure but a means to reduce poverty, Malacañang assured Catholic bishops on Monday. The bill will also not be the watered down version of the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill, Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in press briefing after a meeting with Catholic bishops. Lacierda, Health Secretary Enrique Ona, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon ‘Dinky’ Soliman and Presidential Management Staff chief Julia Abad met with Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, Archbishop Chito Tagle, Archbishop Gabriel Reyes and other resource persons on Monday. This was the second time that Malacañang held a dialogue with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to discuss the bill that will be pushed by the Palace in Congress. The first meeting was held on November 19 last year. The third meeting will be held at the end of February. Lacierda said they explained to the bishops that the RP bill is primarily a poverty reduction measure because poor families will be informed about different family planning methods, including the natural methods promoted by the Catholic Church. “We give them choices as to how they would like to plan their families. We inform them not only the natural but also artificial family planning methods for them to also be able to come up with a decision when to have their babies, the spacing, so that we can also avoid unwanted pregnancies and all these concerns that will, in a very large measure help them plan their family," he said. During the meeting, the bishops asked if the Aquino administration was targeting a certain population growth rate but Malacañang officials said they weren't. “Walang ganoong target growth rate because it’s very debatable --which is the proper target growth rate? The discussion was primarily on poverty reduction and it will have a relation on population growth. But if you ask us if we are going to settle on a specific growth rate, no, we’re not," Lacierda said. The Philippines has a population of 94 million. The CBCP supports natural family planning methods and opposes the RH bill as it promotes contraceptives which they deemed were "abortifacients" or cause abortion. When the bishops raised the issue about the RH bill, Lacierda said the issue was not for Malacañang to decide on. “This is a three-branched government. We cannot impinge on the right of the legislature to come up and enact laws. What we can do is also to mention to the legislature our proposed Responsible Parenthood agenda. So ‘yun po ang aming gagawin sa LEDAC [Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council]," Lacierda said. President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is expected to convene Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council before the month ends and present his legislative agenda or list of 12 bills he wants Congress to prioritize. To be included in the agenda is the responsible parenthood bill. Lacierda also urged the Church people to present their “tons of information against the use of contraceptives" before the Congress. “Sinabi namin you go ahead and lobby it before Congress and prove to them the validity of your argument. Do not come before us and argue those points because it’s the legislature that will come up with the laws," he said. He also allayed the fears of women’s group that the RH bill they were pushing for will be watered down with the RP bill. “Hindi mangyayari ‘yon because as we promised and this is the position of the President, all information must be disclosed to the public. That is the minimum, we will inform the public the range of family planning methods," he said. “We will inform them of all the benefits as well as the consequences to level the playing field. So, again, that is the minimum and I don’t know how it will be watered down because ilalabas lahat ng information doon eh," Lacierda reiterated. In a press statement, Elizabeth Angsioco, National Chairperson of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP) asked Aquino to hold a dialogue with the women who are really affected by the issue. “He should not allow a watered down version of the bill because the ones in Congress go beyond family planning. While it is important, others such as education and services that will truly save lives are equally crucial. And lastly, the most immediate, certify the bill as urgent. His clear endorsement of the bill will make its passage highly possible," said Angsioco. – VVP, GMANews.TV