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CEBU CITY, Philippines ? A new lobby group came out Monday in support of the Reproductive Health Bill.
During its launch at the Cebu Midtown Hotel in Cebu City, members of the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) said the group was ?pro-life? even if it supports the bill that the Catholic Church is firmly opposing.
?We have Catholics. Even I am a Catholic,? said Professor Judy Aguilar of the University of San Carlos? Department of Anthropology and Sociology.
?In fact, the Catholics for Reproductive Health will be launched (today),? she said.
The group said the bill is a way to help protect mothers and children through maternal and child-care programs geared towards elimination of violence against them, the prevention of abortions and to promote the treatment of complications of abortions if they do occur.
The latter is a major concern of the Catholic Church as it may open the doors for future laws that allow abortion. The church also questions the bill encouraging the use of artificial contraceptives.
Groups that support and oppose House Bill 5043 are speeding up advocacy campaigns because debates in congress have ended and legislators are expected to vote on it in the first week of June.
RHAN will run its own advocacy campaigns in support of House Bill 5043 along with the Association of Married Priests in Cebu, Lihok Filipina, and Gabriela, which plan a full campaign in the next two months in communities and marginalized sectors.
?We are into preventing abortion, unwanted pregnancies, violence against women and we are for intellectual discussions on the RH bill,? Aguilar said.
RHAN leaders said they have no plans to meet with Cebu Archbishop Cardinal Vidal, one of the staunchest critics of the Reproductive Health Bill.
?We will prioritize the communities, the constituents because they are the ones who need massive information and services,? she said.
Dr. Rene Bullecer, country director of Human Life International (HLI), said he was not surprised by the presence of Catholic groups supporting the bill.
Even Manila-based Catholic school such as Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle University already announced their support for the bill, he said.
However, he said that based on how previous versions of the bill were all rejected by Congress, he was optimistic the Reproductive Health Bill would not become law.
?The bishops will be united and President (Gloria) Macapagal-Arroyo will not sign,? he said.
Bullecer was at the Midtown Hotel while RHAN was holding its program yesterday. He was invited but did not attend.
Bullecer committed to meet the group after the Holy Week.
He earlier said that there was ?no point to negotiate? with groups that advocate the bill.
Ramon San Pascual of the Philippine Legislators? Committee on Population and Development Foundation, a group that supports the bill, said the numbers in the House of the Representatives favor the bill.
He said 124 congressmen favored the bill, 40 were opposed, while 73 were neutral.
On the other hand, Bullecer had different statistics.
?We have 135 (congressmen) on our side, 44 undecided and the rest are hardline pro-RH,? he said.
Among Cebuano congressmen, Representatives Ramon ?Red? Durano VI of the province?s 5th district and Benhur Salimbangon of the 4th district already visited Cardinal Vidal and pledged not to support the bill, Bullecer said.
