Palace to bishops: Don't be harsh and hasty on RH bill statements

Malacañang on Friday asked the Catholic bishops not be harsh and hasty in their pronouncements about the controversial reproductive health bill. “Let’s be sober in our statements. We have maintained our dialogue with the bishops. Wag munang maging very hostile sa mga statements. There is still a long process, there’s a process that we can go through," presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said. Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes and Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles urged the people to rise up in “civil disobedience" if the RH bill becomes a law. At a press briefing in Malacañang, Lacierda reiterated that they respect the people’s constitutional right to air their opinion and to have redress for their grievances. However, he urged anti-RH bill advocates to bring their arguments to Congress. “We urge the (Church) hierarchy to still fight it out in Congress, na-approve pa lang naman sa committee yung consolidated version," he said. On Monday, the House committee on population and family relations unanimously approved the consolidated RH bill entitled “An Act Providing for a Comprehensive Policy on Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development." [Click here to read the consolidated RH Bill] “If they believe that they have a strong argument against the RH bill, we ask them to continue to lobby in Congress," Lacierda further said. “Let’s take each mile, let’s discuss it and debate the merits of the RH bill and hopefully convince the lawmakers of the strength of their arguments," he added. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) earlier hinted of pulling out from the talks with Malacañang. This surprised the Palace as they believed that they had a cordial exchange of opinions and ideas with the bishops. Malacañang is pushing for a responsible parenthood instead of the RH bill because President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is against a provision compelling anyone to follow what is stated in the bill. The RP bill gives access to information on both the natural and artificial family planning methods. The CBCP supports natural family planning methods and opposes the RH bill which promotes contraceptives which the Catholic Church deems as "abortifacients" or chemicals that can cause abortion. Malacañang first met with the bishops on November 19 last year. The second meeting was on January 24 this year and the third meeting is scheduled at the end of February. – VVP, GMANews.TV