Bishops, Palace executives resume talks on RH bill

By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) Updated December 15, 2010

MANILA, Philippines - Palace officials and members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will resume their dialogue on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill this morning, Malacañang announced yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the meeting will be held at Pope Pious Center along UN Avenue in Manila. This will be the third meeting between the bishops and Palace officials, led by Presidential Management Staff chief Julia Abad. 

CBCP president Bishop Nereo Odchimar of Tandag, Surigao del Sur said they will discuss the “health issues, medical isues” of the RH bill, and two succeeding sessions after the holidays will center on public welfare and policy legislation.

The Catholic church wants the administration of President Aquino to soften its stand on the family planning issue, where it is adopting a responsible parenthood stand. Bishops have been opposing the passage of the RH bill in Congress.

Pro-RH bill advocate and House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman earlier lauded Aquino for his unwavering stand on the ticklish issue. Lawmakers are set to debate the bill in the lower chamber.

‘Let Congress do its job first’

Aquino earlier said holding a plebiscite for purposes of having the controversial RH bill passed is just like putting the cart before the horse, as it would all depend on Congress if it wanted to act on it.

“Let’s wait for the final output of the committees and the plenary debates,” he told Palace reporters in a chance interview last November.

Aquino said he will also include the issue in his upcoming Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council. “We’ll also have dialogues with them (lawmakers) during the LEDAC and come up with something that we can fully support.”

He said population increase “has to be understood in the context that those who are born today are not cared for as they should be,” referring to unwanted pregnancies.

“That is the issue: How do we address the needs of children who are already born and those yet to be born? I’m told that we expect something like 2.5 million new Filipinos every year,” he said.

Aquino has not changed his position regarding responsible parenthood and providing couples the options they have to make on family planning, especially since the population has already reached 90 million.

“That is the only thing I can support. If it follows the responsible parenthood platform that we’re advocating, then I’m supportive. If it goes beyond that, then I would have to study it, how far beyond does it go,” he added.

Lawmakers meet with bishops

Meanwhile, a group of neophyte congressmen and several Catholic bishops held a dialogue yesterday on the RH bill at the Club Filipino.

“Our main objective is to fully comprehend the stand of the Catholic church against the RH bill, particularly the many of the neophyte lawmakers today are not well-informed about the issue,” San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito, who initiated the dialogue, said.

He said they appealed to the bishops to remain calm in relation to the debates in the House on the RH issue.

“We should have regular discussions to further enlighten both sides, instead of fighting in the media. Hopefully, these talks could produce a version of the RH measure that Congress and the Catholic church can agree on,” Ejercito said. 

The group included Reps. Toby Tiangco of Navotas, Bernardette Herrera-Dy of the party-list group Bagong Henerasyon, Fatima Aliah Dimaporo of Lanao del Sur, Alfredo Benitez of Negros Occidental, Anthony Golez of Bacolod City, and Monique Lagdameo of Makati City.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile attended the dialogue, which marked the first time a group of congressmen held discussions with bishops on the bill. – With Jess Diaz, Evelyn Macairan