Solons, advocates urge Aquino to include RH issue in SONA

Some lawmakers and reproductive health (RH) bill advocates on Wednesday urged President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to deliver a "strong message" in favor of the controversial bill when he delivers his State of the Nation Address next week. Former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel said, "I hope Aquino will issue a strong message to our lawmakers regarding the bill during his SONA. We are expecting the President to mention this." Hontiveros cited a recent report ranking the Philippines as the 12th most populous country in the world, with a population of around 90 million. "Okay sana ito kung 12th din tayo na most developed. Pero hanggang ngayon marami pa rin tayong matinding hamon na hinaharap," she added. Meanwhile, Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino urged his fellow congressmen to continue the plenary debates for the controversial health bill which stopped when House went into recess in last month. "Kahit economic issues ang priority ng leadership, sana ipagpatuloy ang debate sa plenaryo. Sana magkaroon na ng voting this year," Palatino said. Palatino said he was hoping the 30 plus lawmakers who are still scheduled to interpellate during debates would not ask "repetitive questions" that could only undermine and delay the passage of the bill. "Alam kong amy budget deliberations pa after ng SONA, pero sana hindi ma-delay nito ang debates," he said. Dr. Gill Greer, president of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, also attended the press conference to throw its support for the RH bill. "Reproductive health is about human rights, about health and even about HIV-AIDS so that every human can lead lives in the future," she said. The controversial bill, which promotes both natural and artifical methods of family planning as well as sex education for students, is strongly being opposed by anti-RH advocates including the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church accepts only natural methods of family planning. Congress of the Faithful On July 25, the day that President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is scheduled to deliver his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), Christian and Muslim anti-RH bill groups will hold a "Congress of the Faithful." The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the congress of people of different faiths aims to show the "people’s perspective" on the country's situation. July 25 also happens to be the 43rd year of the "Humanae Vitae," the landmark papal letter about the Church's uncompromising stand on birth control. The encyclical or papal letter "Humanae Vitae" (Latin phrase meaning "of human life") was written by Pope Paul VI and issued on July 25, 1968. Subtitled "On the Regulation of Birth," the papal letter reaffirms the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church on married love, responsible parenthood, and birth control. The papal letter became highly controversial as it prohibits all forms of artificial contraception. - VVP, GMA News