Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
Independent – Albay
05 August 2012
0916-6406737 / 0918-9120137
The lies of the clergy and lay allies against the RH bill must be condomized to prevent the spread of black propaganda, political intimidation and virulent malevolence.
Congressmen and Senators must legislate for the general welfare based on verifiable realities, unperturbed by fear of hellfire or reprisals at the polls.
While the freedom of expression guarantees the Catholic hierarchy and its lay supporters to express their differing views on any pending legislation, propagating falsehoods and intimidating legislators constitute license not covered by the mantle of free speech.
Play of words purveying misinformation, falsities and deceit is not protected by the Constitution and statutes.
The prayer of the clergy against the RH bill unwarrantedly overlooks the reality of the inevitable linkage between population and poverty; mocks scientific and medical data on the safety of non-abortive contraceptives; and defies empirical and periodic surveys that Filipinos overwhelmingly want the enactment of the RH bill.
Contrary to the Church’s statement that contraception is corruption, it is the denial to women of access to medically safe, legal and effective contraception which corrupts their inalienable right to health and which could lead to maternal death.
How can contraceptives harm the impervious soul when they do not even inflict any serious harm on women’s bodies? Decades of scientific and medical research confirm that contraceptives do not cause any more harm than the usual side effects of ordinary medicines like paracetamol, aspirin and antibiotics.
On the contrary, high risk, unwanted and teenage pregnancies which the RH bill seeks to prevent, result in the escalating rate of maternal mortality and morbidity.
Extensive research from seven different studies from 1980 to 1997 all conclude that the risk of dying from riding a car for one year, which is 1 in 5,900, is much greater than using either pills or an IUD where the risk ratio is 1 in 200,000 and 1 in 10 million, respectively, while the risk of dying from a pregnancy is 1 in 10,000.
Saying that “contraceptive is the mother of all abortions” is an irresponsible and unfounded hyperbole.
In fact, the RH bill is anti-abortion not only because it repeatedly provides that abortion is illegal, punishable and not a method of family planning, but it has also been established that regular and correct non-abortive contraception by choice reduces the abortion rate by 85% because high risk, unwanted and teenage pregnancies, which are usual candidates for abortion, are prevented.
The RH bill cannot be labeled as anti-life because it is precisely intended to promote quality life, prevent maternal and infant mortality and enhance the attainment of sustainable human development.
It is not anti-life to prevent 30% of maternal mortality and foreclose one million infant deaths worldwide as documented by the WHO and UNICEF.
It is erroneous for bishops to claim that reproductive health and sexuality education will result in irresponsible behavior among the young because the contrary has been established by years of research and study by the United Nations and countries which have institutionalized sexuality education.
The beneficent results of sexuality education according to these studies and researches are the following:
(1) Proper sex values are inculcated in the young so much so that irresponsible sex experimenting is discouraged and prevented;
(2) Entry to sexual relations is delayed;
(3) Abstinence before marriage is promoted;
(4) Multiple sexual partners is likewise prevented; and
(5) The spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases is avoided.
Consequently, instead of spawning sex perverts and promiscuity among the young, sexuality education breeds sexually informed and responsible youngsters.
The Church should not be alarmed by the listing of contraceptives as essential medicines because the complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth result in maternal and infant mortality which can be avoided by legal and medically-safe contraceptives.
The function of medicines is either preventive or curative and the use of contraceptives is medical prevention of maternal and infant fatalities.