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8 DADITAMA solons to oppose bills against family, life
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DAVAO CITY, March 7, 2008―Eight lawmakers from the ecclesiastical subregion of Davao, Digos, Tagum and Mati (DADITAMA) promised before the 66 participants of the Church leaders and solons’ caucus to oppose the passage of any bill that will contradict the Catholic Church’s stand on matters pertaining to the issues of family and life.
House Speaker Prospero Nograles during the meeting assured the DADITAMA bishops that he will go for the Church’s stand on issues concerning family and life.
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“I am from Mindanao. I want to tell you that I will have a solid vote to oppose the passage of Reproductive Health bill that will desecrate the sanctity of family and life,” said Nograles, also the 1st district representative of this city.
Other congressmen like Manuel Zamora of District 1, Compostela Valley province; Rommel C. Amatong, District 2, Compostela Valley province; Marc Douglas C. Cagas IV, District 1, Davao del Sur; Arrel R. Olano, District 1, Davao del Norte; Isidro Ungab, District 3, Davao City, Antonio F. Lagdameo Jr., District 2, Davao del Norte and Thelma Z. Almario, District 2, Davao Oriental also vowed to oppose the passage of bills against family and life.
It may be noted that during the 13th Congress, Albay Representative Edcel Lagman has been criticized by the Catholic Church and other pro-life advocates for introducing a population management bill.
The proposed population management bill which is the “Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development Act of 2007” or House Bill 3773 aims to (a) help couples/parents achieve their desired fertility size in the context of responsible parenthood; (b) improve reproductive health of individuals and contribute to decreased maternal mortality rate, infant mortality and early child mortality; (c) reduce incidence of teenage pregnancy and other reproductive health problems; and (d) contribute to policies that will assist government to achieve a favorable balance between population and distribution, economic activities and the environment.
Lagman’s new population bill also includes a provision for “mandatory reproductive health and sexuality education,” which should be taught in “an age-appropriate manner by adequately trained teachers starting from Grade 5 up to Fourth Year High School.”
The bill also appropriates 10 percent of the “gender and development” budget of all government agencies for the operations of the Commission on Population.
Other groups expressed optimism that this bill will help solve the population issue that placed Philippines in the 12th rank as the most populous nation in the world with a population of 88 million.
Even so the Catholic Church remained in its strong stance to be in opposition to any bills which would employ methods and devices so as to defile the sanctity of family and life.
A national daily quoted Lagman urging his colleagues to come up with a “categorical political statement, but this time couple with appropriate allocations,” in the areas of reproductive health, responsible parenthood and population development.
However, Nograles said he will use his influence in the Lower House just to ensure that the stand of the Church on bills against family and life will prevail.
“We will rather support the Church and obey our respective bishops than support our fellow congressmen in the passage of these bills,” the House Speaker told the participants and bishops in vernacular.
The bishops present in the meeting were Archbishop Fernando Capalla and Bishop George Rimando of Davao, Bishop Wilfredo Manlapaz of Tagum and Bishop Patricio Alo of Mati. Bishop Guillermo Afable of Digos, who was in Rome, was represented by his Vicar General Msgr. John Macalisang.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla of Davao assured the lawmakers that he will solicit the help of other Mindanao bishops and members of the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) to come and attend in the upcoming meeting with Mindanao solons this April.
The archbishop also expressed gratitude for the positive response of the lawmakers which went beyond the expectations of the DADITAMA bishops.
The caucus with legislators is part of the two-day DADITAMA quarterly meeting held at Charles Borromeo Retreat House, this city. (Mark S Ventura)
source::
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