CITIZENS ALLIANCE FOR PROTECTION OF HUMAN (CAPH) - LIFE

MANIFESTO: RH LAW 10354 IS A GRAND MOCKERY AND DECEPTION; WE WILL BATTLE IT AND PREPARE TO DEFEND HUMAN LIFE, MARRIAGE, FAITH AND MORALS AGAINST THREATS THAT FOLLOW

Congress just passed Republic Act No. 10354, otherwise known as AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL POLICY ON RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, earlier known as the RH Bill. The President signed this measure into law last December 21, 2012. This law, which, at first, appears to have accommodated numerous objections to the then RH Bill, is a grand deception, which makes the law even more dangerous. First, while it belatedly accommodated the guarantee of protection of the life of the unborn at conception, and expressly provides that access to abortifacients are excluded from the definition of reproductive health rights (Section 4, s), NOWHERE DOES THE LAW PROVIDE ANY PENALTY for those who dispense, sell, distribute or use abortifacients or prevent the implantation of the zygote into the uterus. In other words, it is nothing but an insincere, dishonest, and political LIP SERVICE to the sanctity of human life, a consuelo de bobo to those who originally objected but who were carried away in the final vote by the lobby money and perks of the administration. In other words, in terms of pretending to protect human life, the RH Law is a BIG JOKE. The fact of lip service and insincerity is most graphically expressed in the last paragraph of Section 2 (Declaration of Policy) where it provides that the The State shall also PROMOTE openness to life; PROVIDED, That parents bring forth to the world only those children whom they can raise in a truly humane way. What in the world is openness to life? If you are open, can you also close it, if the conceiving or pregnant woman cannot assure that she can raise the child in a truly humane way? This is nothing but sheer and simple mockery. It tramples on freedom of conscience by punishing those who refuse to give information on artificial methods of birth control (Sec. 23, a. of the law) and compelling the conscientious objector to refer the patient to another health care service provider who dispenses such services, otherwise the conscientious objector will be either fined or imprisoned (par. 3 of Sec. 23).

The RH Law now opens the floodgate for the unleashing of the vast resources of the state to develop a birth control mentality in the land. It masquerades as a health measure, when, in truth, it is a device to control population growth so that this world will only be a habitat for the rich and not for the poor. Instead of directing billions of funds for education and job generation which are the sure antidotes to poverty, the law surrendered to the lobby money of foreign drug companies which are now assured of a steady income by the purchase of the Philippine government of pills and other artificial methods and devises of birth control. Pregnancy and children, which used to be viewed as blessings, are now treated as a danger and a disease under the law if it is the poor that conceives or gets pregnant. It threatens to reduce our greatest resource, which is our people, by population control. For the real reason of poverty are social injustice, corruption and foreign domination. We, members of the CAPH-LIFE, who believe in God, now consider it our moral duty to oppose or undo this law by lawful or Constitutional and peaceful means under the Biblical maxim we must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). We also hereby manifest that we know that there are several more bills in the pipeline which are of the same spirit and orientation, among others, the divorce bill, same-sex marriage, legalization of prostitution, death with dignity or mercy killing, and others, which we now are preparing to oppose. We declare that, as God gives us the courage and the strength, we shall fight to protect and preserve human life, especially of the unborn at conception, as well as the family, marriage, faith, and morals of the people against all insidious and sneak attacks such as this RH Law. So help us God!

January 15, 2013, in Bacolod City, Philippines.

MOST REV. VICENTE M. NAVARA, D.D. Bishop, Diocese of Bacolod Chairman ATTY LYDON CAA Honorary Chairman