President Arroyo Backing Church on Birth Control

Phillipines, City of San Fernando—President Macapagal-Arroyo has assured that her administration would promote only natural family planning methods as legislators set debates on a population management bill, the chair of the Catholic Church’s commission on family life said on Sunday.

San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto said the President gave the assurance over breakfast Sunday, after Arroyo attended the 4 a.m. Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral here. Ms Arroyo arrived here unaccompanied by any member of the First Family.

“[Ms Arroyo] said she would follow the Church’s stand,” Aniceto told the Inquirer shortly after the President left for Manila.

‘Cafeteria method’

In their conversation, he said Ms Arroyo objected to the “cafeteria method” wherein family planning choices are varied and readily available.
“She’s a devout Catholic and she said she would abide with the doctrine of the Church,” Aniceto said.

He said the Church rejects the use of artificial contraceptives and other methods that promote abortion and promiscuity.

“I hope she would mobilize the agencies in government for prolife measures,” he said

On Dec. 12, the House of Representatives approved for plenary debates House Bill 3773 (Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Act of 2005).

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of HB 3773, said the bill seeks to provide the public “free and full access to adequate and relevant information on reproductive health and a full range of family methods and devices.”

Objectives

He said the bill is not pro-abortion. It aims to prevent abortion by “reducing the incidence of unplanned, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies.”

Reproductive health activists, however, said Ms Arroyo and the Catholic Church should wake up to the “population and reproductive health nightmare” that the country is in now. The Reproductive Health Action Network, an umbrella group of nongovernment and people’s organizations fighting for the passage of HB 3773, said the bill was the only way for a comprehensive national population management and responsible parenthood program.

“The Church and [Ms Arroyo] should wake up to the fact that the health and population situation needs to be addressed now,” said Eden Divinagracia, executive director of the Philippine NGO Council for Population, Health and Welfare.

“Professional groups, including health workers and entrepreneurs, are pushing this bill…” Divinagracia said.

Wouldn't it be great to read these headlines about our own President and our Congressmen in the U.S.? Hmm...we may be reading such headlines in the not so distant future if Senator Brownback becomes our next President.