The RH Bill: A Legislation with good-sounding objectives

George W. Bush once said: "It is a sad fact of political life today that bad legislation sometimes becomes law because of politics. No one wants to be the bad guy who vetoes a bill with a good-sounding name... Even worse, this bill not only sounded good, it did have some good as well... The legislation had a great name . How noble. How sound. How difficult to veto."
As Congress debates on the RH Bill these days, our undecided congressmen might also be having the same dilemma as then Texas Governor Bush when he was deciding to veto a legislation on Patient Protection against HMO's.
In our case, who would want to go against a law that will protect and promote the basic right of parents to freely and responsibly plan the number and spacing of their children? Who would want to go against a law that will help lower the incidence of abortion? Who would want to go against a law which want to reduce infant deaths, promote safe motherhood and prevent the spread of the dreaded HIV and AIDS? Who in her right mind want her people to die in poverty?
I am a woman and a nurse by profession. I think womanhood is fascinating. And I take every opportunity to promote the cause of the women. I believe that parents should be responsible in matters that affect their children. And I also believe that we should fight the woes the RH bill wishes to fight. But I am NOT for the passage of the RH Bill and I hope our respected congresswomen and congressmen will NOT make this into a law.
Much as the objectives mean very well for the people, especially the women, its means to achieve the objectives are simply not right - many are even offensive. Yes, there are noble provisions in it, but the offensive parts outweigh the good ones. Although the RH Bill proponents believe that population is the cause of poverty, many studies by note-worthy economists also state that there is no co-relation between population and development. Some even believe that the more young population there is, the more possibilities there will be for progress. Many RH Bill proponents also believe that human life begins at implantation. That is why they do not believe that IUDs and many hormonal contraceptives can cause abortion. But what about many of us who believe that human life begins at fertilization? These above mentioned modern means of family planning render the uterus hostile for implantation - thus human life can be aborted. Our consciences will not allow us from cooperating with evil. This bill will force us to give up our hard earned money through taxes to fund the purchase of these evil means. This is government stifling our right to practice our faith. Mandatory sex-education. Have you read their module? It teaches that religion is an obstacle to one's freedom. Condoms. Thanks to the false security condoms gives, Thailand, where the condom king lives, has now one of the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS in the world. As to maternal health, my direct exposure to the community as a nurse taught me that it’s not the number of children that makes a family healthy. It’s having love, education and work. Do you want to ensure safe pregnancy and delivery? Hire government health workers that do not threaten mothers giving birth that they won't be accommodated again if they get pregnant soon. One poor mother because of the threat, gave birth the following year to her home without medical help. We had to bring her to the hospital...
The bill, for all its good-sounding objectives, would like to change the Filipino culture. With the passage of this bill, we are opening our doors wide to licentiousness and immorality where there is no place for a Provident God. The future generation, those who will be allowed by their parents who are playing God, to be born (because many will not have a chance) will live in a world where values like chastity, fidelity and self-control are unknown. With the passage of this bill, soon we will witness mothers, when their teenage daughters go to parties, instead of saying: “Be careful, dear. Enjoy but behave. Know your limits” We will hear: “Be careful, dear. Enjoy, don’t forget to bring condoms.” (By the way, this line was heard some years back from a mother in New York where the contraceptive mentality is very much alive). This implies that having sex even if you're not married, is okay as long as you don't get pregnant. Will the contraceptives be available for free only for married couples? No. It will be available for everyone. It will be available for children without their parents' knowledge. It will be available to BPO workers who want to have free sex/casual sex after a few drinks. "Safe sex" without love, without commitments... Have you read this line some months ago:"Keep your rosaries away from our ovaries!" Is this Filipino culture? It sounds like coming from Margaret Sanger's world. But I read it here in our country. This bill will encourage this oh so un-Filipino mentality.
I hope our respected congresswomen and congressmen will be brave enough to say No to this bill with good-sounding objectives. I hope you realize that this is bad legislation. We are behind you. We will show our appreciation in the next elections. Please do not exchange our future to pressures from outside, the same people whom they say are ready to pay you 10 million pesos each just to have this bill approved. They will gain back these millions in a short time because the government will be buying millions of modern family planning devices from them.
To close, I'd again like to borrow former US Pres. George W. Bush's words: "You see, the strength of a society should not be measured only in the wealth it accumulates or the technology it develops. The strength of a society should be measured in the values its people share." We're not even sure that this bill will bring in wealth to our people. I know the Philippines is a place where people hold fast to basic values. "People can improve their lives through hard work and education. All must know they have a chance to succeed. It does not happen when they are at the mercy of outside forces; it happens when they realize they have a worth, a dignity, and a free will given by God, not by government. "
"Government cannot solve all our problems. The real answer to improving people’s lives is found in the hearts of decent, caring people who have heard the call to love their neighbours as they would like to be loved themselves. "
"Children must be educated in right from wrong. They must learn to say yes to responsibility, yes to family, yes to honesty and work... And no to drugs, no to violence, no to promiscuity or having babies out of wedlock. "
Our dear congresswomen and congressmen. Please say NO to the RH Bill.