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Aquino: RP bill is middle-ground between Church and RH bill


President Benigno Simeon Aquino III said on Monday the Palace-backed responsible parenthood (RP) bill is the "middle ground" between the controversial reproductive health bill and Church’s stance on natural family planning. “Yung RP, there are a lot of common grounds with them (RH bill) but also common grounds with the Catholic Church," Aquino told reporters after the inauguration of the upgraded facilities of the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City. The RH bill promotes the use of artificial family planning method and contraceptives which the Church deemed as abortifacients or cause abortion. The RP bill, according to Malacañang, 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. “W e want to have a focus on the idea that bringing children into this world is really a responsibility of the parents who would know best as to their capabilities to nurture all of these children," Aquino said. He further said it will only be a reorientation of what the RH debate has been. “It's really refocusing of the fact that we are focused on the quality of life afforded the children and also focus on the idea that responsibility has to be borne out by the parents together with the Churches that they belong to and the State," Mr Aquino explained. He said there is no need to set a population growth target because the parents are the ones who should decide on the size of their family. “Marami kasing nakikialam e at nagseset ng ideal number. Those who have advocated one child per family are now regretting that they did. Those that did not have a policy also regretted not having a policy," he said. “Sino ba ang makaalaam kung ano ang kakayahan para arugain ang mga anak. E di yung magulang. Alam nila kinikita nila. Alam nila ang kayang tustusin sa pagaaral, gamot, etc. They are aware of their limitations and capabilities," the President added. He noted that RP is really about empowering the parents. “There is no absolute number. We believe that is best left to the discretion and decision of the parents," Aquino said. – VVP, GMA News

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