Doctors band together to promote 'sanctity of human life'

Doctors and medical professionals banded together over the weekend to form the group "Doctors for Life" to promote the sanctity of human life and the family. According to a news article on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, the non-profit "Doctors for Life" was launched on June 17 at the Makati Medical Center in Makati City. “This organization is so very necessary and this is indeed a needed shot in the arm because we are faced with so many challenges in our fight for life and family," said Dr. Ligaya Acosta, Human Life International (HLI)-Asia/Oceania Executive Director. Acosta, one of the group's board of advisers, said the formation of the group Doctors for Life was one of the greatest fruits of the 17th Asia Pacific Congress on Faith, Love and Family of HLI. The group's mission statement includes a declaration that all human beings regardless of their size, age or dependency deserve full protection of the law and that the group promotes and protects the human rights of the unborn, the defenseless, the aged, the disadvantaged and all human life. According to the group, their primary purpose is to teach “through factual information about human embryonic development, abortion, fetal vaccines and [their] moral alternatives, birth control pills, euthanasia and related issues" to help the public make informed choices. Eleanor Palabyab, the group’s president, said the group was formed at a time when many issues revolving around human life and the family need to be dealt with. Groups such as "Doctors for Life" and the Catholic Church are working to ban the passage of the reproductive health (RH) bill due to its provisions that promote artificial contraception along with natural family planning methods. The Catholic Church favors only natural means of family planning. The "Doctors for Life" group includes professionals holding a doctoral degree that include but are not limited to doctors of medicine, doctors of jurisprudence, doctors of philosophy, and doctors of theology. - VVP, GMA News