How Should I Answer Senator Santiago's RH Bill Speech

If I Were To Answer Senator Mirriam Santiago Speech on RH Bill

//"The Philippines remains one of the poorest countries in the world because, among other things, for a long time, it refused to acknowledge what could easily be seen when one glances out the window: the country desperately needs a reproductive health law."//

Wrong. The country since Marcos time has been flooded with condoms, pills, ligation, vasectomy, etc. yet until poverty is still existing. But make no mistakes, it does not mean that the country is poor. It's wealthy, but only the oligarchs and the politicians get richer and richer.

//Not having a reproductive health law is cruelty to the poor. The poor are miserable because, among other reasons, they have so many children.//

The programs which this RH Law wants to implement, has been implemented already since Marcos time. The only difference is that before it is free, but now the taxpayers should pay. And an additional sex-education from the very young age which will be a justification why the govt. need to purchase more pills and condoms to be distributed to them freely.

//Providing reproductive knowledge and information through government intervention is the humane thing to do. It can help the poor escape the vicious cycle of poverty by giving them options on how to manage their sexual lives, plan their families and control their procreative activities.//

Only the ignorant will believe that it has not been done before, in fact DOH has been doing the intervention even most of the time without tasking permission of the woman to ligate. There were reports on DOH vaccination  which were diluted with abortifacient drugs that cause bleeding among the victims.

//The phrase "reproductive rights" includes the idea of being able to make reproductive decisions free from discrimination, coercion or violence.//

The question is, when does reproductive rights among the Filipina women being trampled upon? In contrary, the health clinics who ligated or giving vaccine to women without their permission is a violation of their reproductive rights!

China who empower themselves with that kind of idea, has been trampling the reproductive rights of their women there. Why do we need the RH to trample our freedom of conscience by coercing all taxpayers to fund for these contraception even against their beliefs?

//Many poor women do not receive information on how to receive reproductive health care//.

Being in the far flung areas for many years, I witnessed the health centers who are giving seminars to the married women. In fact, there were many condoms and pills distributed, than the vitamins they need. So it's untrue that many poor women do not receive information on how to received RH care.

//Our underprivileged women have to accept standards lower than what they need, want, or deserve.//

It's because there are more condoms and pills rather than the vitamins and minerals they need for the mothers and their babies.

//According to the Department of Health, the mortality rate for Filipino mothers increased to 221 per 100,000 live births in 2011 from 162 per 100,000 live births in 2009. But not only do the women suffer, the children do, too. The children remain undernourished and undereducated because their parents are ignorant about reproductive health care and choices.//

That's because of the fact of their being poor, Mrs. Senator! How do the billions worth of condoms and pills and other contraception devices can change that? How can the RH Law implementation help them from their poverty?

The problem is poverty! Treating the symptoms of the toothache by just giving them medicol or pain reliever pills does not eliminate the problem. The tooth has to be treated by root canal or maybe eliminate it completely. Is that not sensible?.

/In short, the bill merely wants to empower a Filipino woman from the poorest economic class to march to the nearest facility operated by the Department of Health or the local government unit, to demand information on a family planning product or supply of her choice.//

You mean they cannot do that because there is no RH Law yet? In fact the everyday, so many women are marching there Mrs. Senator. Why won't you go and visit the DOH local govt. units to see them in your own eyes?

//The bill, at the simplest level, wants to give an indigent married woman the freedom of informed choice concerning her reproductive rights.//

Nobody is depriving them that right to be informed on the choices. Better yet, nobody is depriving them to have their choices. Is there?

//If the bill is highly controversial, it is not because it is dangerous to humans or to the planet. It is not subversive of the political order. It is not a fascist diktat of a totalitarian power structure.//

I agree. No debate on that. But it could only become a tool to deprived the right of catholic taxpayers not to pay or fund the purchase of those contraception which they believe are inherent evil.

//The reason this bill is emotionally charged is because of the fervent opposition of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and those who wish to be perceived as its champions.//

You seemed to confuse the religious issue to ethical issue. You see, even how brilliant you both seem to the people, yet your support to the evil program had exposed your confusion.

//Yet the majority of Catholic countries around the world have passed reproductive health laws, even Italy where the Vatican City is located. Other nations include Spain, Portugal, Paraguay, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina.//

Yeah, but what you and your allies failed to see is that RH Law in those countries did not solve the teenage pregnancy and abortion.

But I admitted that that this RH program has been successful not only in those countries mentioned, but also to US and other parts of Europe as well Asia, in controlling their population.

In short, this RH program is true to its original name the "Population Control" program, which language was successfully changed by Sadik to "Reproductive Health" program.

But since you cannot deceive many if you use the original name 'Population Control', you resorted to using it's changed name which is Reproductive Health. And most are really deceived and cannot notice that it is neither for Reproduction nor for Health.

//Apart from the Catholic Church, all other major religions in the Philippines support the RH Bill. Other major Christian churches have not only officially endorsed the bill but have published learned treatises explaining their position. Support also comes from the Interfaith Partnership for the Promotion of Responsible Parenthood, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, the Iglesia ni Cristo and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches.//

Of course, that's historical if you still remember your history lesson Madame. Before the Anglicans changed the teachings of artificial contraception as inherent evil, all the Catholics and Protestant communities have a doctrine that artificial contraception is inherently evil.

Most of the Protestants followed after the changes made by the Anglicans, the. And since there are more Protestants in the US, the Roe V Wade had successfully deceived the majority on the legalization of abortion. And only the lone Catholic Church had not changed its doctrine that contraception and abortion are inherently evil.

//The position of these Christian bodies is supported by the most authoritative body of Islamic clerics in the Philippines, the Assembly of Darul-Iftah of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. These constitute the top-ranking ulama, deemed to have the authority to issue opinions on matters facing Islam and Muslims. In 2003, they issued a fatwah or religious ruling called "Call to Greatness." It gives Muslim couples a free choice on whether to practice family planning.//

You seemed to tiptoe on your last line Madame Senator. Because you know that nobody, even the Catholic Church is against the practice of free choice on whether to practice family planning. If fact you knew that Catholic Church is also teaching Family Planning, but with the use of only the Natural which is does not cost anything, but only need to practice the Christian virtues.

//The Filipino people, regardless of religion, are in favor of RH.//

That's a very careful but vague statement, Madame Senator. Who told you that nobody want's Reproductive Health? As long that it is really for Reproduction and for Health. Of course, everybody wants it!

//In June 2011, the Social Weather Stations, a survey group, reported that 73% of Filipinos want information from the government on all legal methods of family planning, while 82% say family planning method is a personal choice of couples and no one should interfere with it. An October 2012 survey among young people aged 15 to 19 years old in Manila shows that 83% agree that there should be a law in the Philippines on reproductive health and family planning.//

Please be honest Mrs. Senator. The survey was kind of manipulated. Who does not want to have information on Family Planning? Again, in fact the Church is conducting trainings and seminars about it. Filipino people will always agree that a law is needed on Reproductive Health and Family Planning as long it is indeed for Reproduction and for Health in planning a family, rather than on Population Control and on unhealthy drugs which are categorized by WHO as carcinogens.

But the problem why there are so many who oppose it (take note, not only the Church, but even the atheists), because in the first place there its deception is just too obvious. The different contents is leaning more on POPULATION CONTROL, rather than on Reproductive Health. Since we don't have a problem about our population, as our problem is poverty, so how in the world does controlling the population relates to addressing poverty?

//This is the will of the Filipino people; it is the democratic expression of what the public wants from government. The anti-RH groups are mute on this ineluctable fact.//

No! It is you and your supporters who are blind on the inevitable and inescapable fact that Reproductive Health Bill is just a deception, and its real goal is Population Control! Wake up Madam Senator! Wake up people!

 //Reproductive health care is a human right. The people are entitled to demand it from their government and the government is obligated to provide it to its constituents.//

I agree on this conclusion, but all the premises did not support it. Those premises you have tried to unpack are full of loopholes and deceptions.  But nice try Madam Senator Miriam Santiago!