The Right of Reply Bill; the Next to Impossible

If there is something that journalists do not want Congress to legislate is the right of reply bill which will surely bring more trouble to them and to anybody with the intention to express his political views and opinions once this will be enacted into law. This is self-serving to the politicians as journalists may lose the appetite to be critical of them in the press unveiling  their evil in the government. Once this becomes a law journalists need to take the extra effort to get the side also the politicians. Something that may impede press freedom and the autonomy of the press people to do their job.

But here is a more disgusting content of the bill as posted in the internet:

The Right of Reply bill will affect not only journalists, but also bloggers, texters, and users of social networking sites and other electronic devices, a lawmaker said Sunday.

Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante, sponsor of House Bill 3306 or the Right of Reply Bill, admitted that the bill would also cover Web sites, emails, Internet social networking sites and other electronic devices in its scope, Kabataan Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino said in a statement Sunday.

Palatino said Abante admitted that fact during his interpellation of the bill in the lower House.

Palatino said it would not only affect press freedom but also could lead to Internet censorship and affect freedom of speech and expression of bloggers, texters, and even iPod users.

‘All internet users affected’

The bill’s Section 1 states that: “All persons natural or judicial who are accused directly or indirectly of committing, having committed, or are criticized by innuendo, suggestion or rumor for any lapse in behavior in public or private life shall have the right to reply to charges or criticisms published in newspapers, magazines, newsletters or publications circulated commercially or for free, or aired or broadcast over radio, television, websites or through any electronic device.”

“The bill, therefore, would not only affect media outfits and journalists but also all website owners, website masters, email account holders and other netizens who are not necessarily media practitioners,” Palatino said in the statement.

“This would affect the more than five million bloggers and millions more of Internet users in the country. My fear is that when this bill comes to law, it will be used to regulate the content of the Internet,” he said.

“When we are checking our emails, when we open our Friendster or Facebook accounts, we are checking our websites. Does this mean that we will be compelled to moderate, modify or edit our personal websites? Is this not Internet censorship and suppression of freedom of speech and expression?” he added.

“Does this mean that whenever a criticism is published in these venues a person can use the Right of Reply to compel a blogger or moderator of a social networking site to publish a space or a reply for that person? Or when an individual decides to copy or re-post an article from a news website in his or her personal blog, and in the future the said article becomes a subject of this Right of Reply, will he or she be sanctioned or fined also?” Palatino added. ( From abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/31/2009 5:26 PM)

I agree with Palatino’sview that this going to be a curtailment of the press freedom. On the other hand how in the world will you implement this kind of law with millions of internet users, bloggers, texters, etc., who one way or the other may share views through the digital and electronic media particularly in the cyberspace?  Do you think the politicians themselves or anybody being criticized in the media and internet, etc. could realistically respond to thousands and even millions of people who criticize them every hour of the day? This is something crazy and to be more specific “idiotic.” Rep. Bienvenido Abante, sponsor of House Bill 3306 or the Right of Reply Bill should have a better idea than this. I myself is against any infringement and curtailment to press freedom. This is to me is next to impossible. I stand corrected if you could convince me so.

Smith is Acquitted; a Reason for Outrage?

The Supreme court has spoken, smith is not guilty. It was “a spontaneous, unplanned romantic episode with both parties carried away by their passions and stirred up by the urgency of the moment caused probably by alcoholic drinks they took…”

What does this mean? Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith can go back home a free man with his dignity restored and he has nothing to be ashame of. He can see friends, relatives, and people around head up; he could be called immaculate had not the court ruled he had a consensual sex with a drunk Filipina. A, smith is no longer a virgin, he proved himself a “fucker.” Perhaps there could have been a repeat performance had he properly parted with her with a word, Thank you.

Suddenly the moment of parting came and the Marines had to rush to the ship. In that situation, reality dawned on Nicole—what her audacity and reckless abandon, flirting with Smith and leading him on, brought upon her.

“That must have been shattering. But added to this was the mocking moment she heard from inside the van: ‘Leave that bitch!’ or words to that effect, which really broke her as she shouted back her denial: ‘I am not a bitch!’,” the court went on.

From the court’s point of view, Nicole cried rape out of shame—“dumped in a curb literally with her pants down”—upon the thought of her mother and boyfriend Brian.

“She had to hit back in the only way she could—to salvage at least a vestige of her self-esteem,” the court concluded.

So smith is the loser, he had been sentenced and jailed for sometime for an offense he did not commit at all. He has the looks every woman is looking for which they term in Filipino “makalaglag panty.” What about Smith’s compensation for a lost virginity or innocence of his manhood (if ever he had at the time he was on top of Nicole)? Maybe Nicole should even be thankful to Smith for giving her the taste of glory from a good looking guy.

But this is not so from public perception. Nicole was a victim and deserve to get justice on the shame and pain inflicted on her. It’s unfortunate, the appellate court look at it the other way around. For how could she convinced the court it was rape when it found no evidence to show “force, threat, and intimidation.” If ever Nicole was drunk, then she could not “danced non-stop to the urgent beat of rock and hip-hop music in an inebriated state for 15 minutes without stumbling clumsily on the floor.”  

She lied including the other witnesses, if I were to interpret what the court said as: 

This gap in her narration with the malingering explanation that she was dizzy and could not remember is dubiously fanciful for being what the court perceptively describes as contrary to ordinary experience of man,” the court said.

The court found the testimonies given by three persons at the Neptune Club who described Nicole’s supposed drunken state to be “rehearsed.”

The court was suspicious that the witnesses uniformly used the word “pasuray-suray” (walking unsteadily as if swaying) in describing Nicole before the court, but they never used the word when they spoke to investigators.

“The uniform description gives the impression that the testimonies were rehearsed,” the court said.

Unfortunately Nicole is no longer here and neither her mom is interested to pursue to the case to the Supreme Court. Nicole is now in the US and probably will be married soon to her boyfriend. Perhaps Smith could be invited also to the wedding and give his best wishes to the bride and groom.

But then this is not what most people think about. Not that Smith was not guilty, he may have been lucky the victim prefered to doubt if she was raped at all. Of course we respect the decision of the court. The magistrates were trained to evaluate cases based on evidences. Ours may only be a conjecture, it may not be the truth. But who has the truth, or at least closest to the truth.

To most of the Filipina women, probably Smith’s acquittal may only suggest one thing, the danger that Filipina women can be raped anywhere and may not get justice at all.

Gays in the Military, Time is Changing

Gone are the days when the military organization was a close system. Time has changed and they are adopting now to the changing landscape of the socio-political environment they operate. First they recruited women to serve in the military not only to do light duties but to become combatants as well. And now they want the gays, yes the gays to become part of the human component that comprise the military establishment. 

This is a welcome development to the socio-political and economic environment where the military exists. The constitution guarantees the right of every person including his sexual preferences. His/her right to serve his/her country as a soldier is also part of that constitutional right. It’s a long time overdue that the Philippine military has only thought of to comply  recently.

Here is a portion of that report from abs-cbnNEWS.com (03/04/2009):

Gay men can go to war with brave Filipino soldiers, a military spokesman said as he announced Wednesday that members of the third sex can apply for enlistment in the Philippine Army.

“We welcome them. We welcome everybody. We don’t discriminate [gay] people here,” Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., Army spokesman, told ABS-CBN’s morning show, “Umagang Kay Ganda.”

Brawner said as long as an applicant is physically, emotionally and mentally fit, the Army would be proud to enlist them, including gay people.

“They are allowed [and] of course they will have the same assignments. They can also go to war,” the Army spokesman added.

Brawner clarified that the Army or any other units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines does not discriminate gay people, including bisexual men.

Over the year I have seen various people who are gays serving the government and the private sectors holding sensitive positions as CEOs and lower level officials. They are doing good. Many of them are sincere, dedicated, well motivated on their jobs, and with unblemished reputation in public service. It’s a civilian job alright but can’t they do the same given the change of leadership in the military?

But in a highly masculine dominated system where the highest ranks in service are relegated only to the male servicemeni, it will take time before an enlisted personnel or a junior officer will get use to saluting and taking orders of command from a gay officer or a general.

But the way is already paved,  gay soldiers will soon be a common sight in the military. Gays the time is here.

The paradox for truth; World Bank versus the Philippine Senate on “bid rigging” investigation

After the senators allied to the Arroyo’s administration bashed at the World Bank during the senate hearing, accusing it of conducting a sloppy investigation into allegations of corruption surrounding Bank-funded road projects, World Bank country director for the Philippines Bert Hofman defended the Bank’s investigation process as well as the reports (about alleged bid-rigging activities of Filipino construction firms) which it shared with the Philippine government was done in a “very thorough process.”

This is in response to senator Mirriam Santiago’s accusation of World Bank of “double speak” by charging corruption in the country but does not cooperate in the probe. “How dare Mr. Hofman say that there is corruption in the Philippines (but refuse) to give us at least the original document,” Santiago said.

Likewise Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez belied reports of sitting down on the case (Word Bank’s bid rigging report) during the senate’s hearing last Thursday. She said the 9-page  World’s Bank’s Referral Report was “full of restrictions” thus making it difficult for her office to conduct the investigation. Further she claimed that she did not received additional assistance from the World Bank after receiving the report. But the World Bank in response said “it had provided additional document to the Ombudsman and even offered to assist them in their investigation.”

And even if there’s truth on Gutierrez’s claim at the senate that World Bank failed  to provide her office additional documents, former officials of the office of the Ombudsman disagreed with her that she could not effectively pursue an investigation. They said there’s “enough information in the World Bank report to  investigate alleged “collusion involving a WB-funded road project.” Other people also  believe that if the office of the Ombudsman wants to run after crooks in the government, it could do so even with a simple letter complaining about scam like what her predecessor Simeon Marcelo did with “the Major General Carlos F. Garcia case.” The Ombudsman is a special prosecuting body that handles corruption cases against government officials.

In a statement released to the Philippine media, the World Bank said it shared to the Philippine government  “an internal document, the Referral Report—one of the several it has produced over the bid-rigging issue” so it could conduct its own investigation. While the Bank initiated the investigation “to protect the funds entrusted to the Bank,” the Philippine government has the discretion to investigate if there’s any of its own laws are violated.

World Bank further explained that it conducted the investigation and banned the involved construction firms to help safeguard the entrusted funds. The Bank had conducted “its own investigations under its own administrative rules and procedures.” If a member country however received a Referral Report and intends to investigate the case it could always ask the Bank for additional information according to the World Bank. In this manner the World Bank said it even offered “follow-up assistance to the Ombudsman in conducting her investigations.”

Senator Panfilo Lacson also perceived that the hearing of the Senate economic affairs committee led by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago was “orchestrated because of some obvious circumstances.” Government television networks were hooked up in the live coverage of the senate hearing. What was even more suspicious was when First Gentleman Arroyo who was also mentioned in the World Bank report “came up with a statement which “dovetailed” with the Senate hearing’s conclusion.”

As of now the Philippine government has enough body of information from the World Bank to pursue a case according to the Bank. But Philippine authorities still insists these are only leads and hard evidences are needed to prosecute a criminal case. In this case the general public is at lost who is telling the truth.

In dealing with the issue of corruption, in the “complimentarity” of truth (between the World Bank Report and the Senate’s hearing conclusion) it is not what one says that matters here but who is saying it. In this case, it is that the World Bank which has the upper hand if public opinion is sought on who is telling the truth.  

 

Praise be with You

“Give credit to where credit is due.” I heard such statement several times from friends who had been frustrated in the awarding of special recognitions to certain individuals or groups perceived to have done great things to their society and environment although they do not actually deserve. They just don’t have the right to be awarded. A sad reality in life there are champions whose winning is questionable. There is a term for this in Filipino, “lutong Makaw.” A half-baked victory?

As far as giving credit is concerned, this is a real one. Lately Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has been praised by a lot of Filipinos from all walks of life, particularly senators and congressmen, for his refusal to accept millions of pesos as bribe for the alleged release of narcotics suspects popularly known as the “Alabang Boys.” Although he has come under fire for exposing an alleged bribery of state prosecutors handling the “Alabang Boys” drug case which was dismissed for what is termed as “mere technicality.”

Similarly a group of former government officials praised the Marine officer assigned at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for being an “exemplary public servant.”

Here is an excerpt of that news form abs-cbnNEWs.com.

“He serves as a dramatic example of the kind of selfless service the majority of government employees offer that put national interest above personal interest. May others like him continue to be living proofs that, as Ninoy Aquino put it, the Filipino is worth dying for,” the FSGO statement said.

Marcelino earlier said he was offered millions of pesos in bribes to release three scions of rich families who were arrested for peddling narcotics in Alabang, Muntinlupa City and Cubao, Quezon City. He said state prosecutors were also offered up to P50 million in bribes to drop the case against the so-called Alabang Boys.

A National Bureau of Investigation probe, however, absolved state prosecutors in the bribery issue and recommended the filing of obstruction of justice charges against Marcelino.

The FSGO, which includes Cabinet members who have resigned from the Arroyo administration, also commended thousands of career public servants who are committed to strengthening the country’s democratic institutions in the service of the people.

They said these nameless government employees, particularly teachers, soldiers, and police officers, have remained true to their oath of office, defending the Constitution, protecting and promoting the public good, refusing to accept bribes of any kind, doing their jobs as best they can, even going beyond the call of duty.

“These public servants form the bulk of our country’s bureaucracy and represent our government at its best. During our stint in government, we met most of these outstanding Filipinos and remember with gratitude and admiration their steadfast integrity in the face of corruption and immorality,” the group said.

Praise be with You

Having served briefly the government in various capacities, I know how difficult it is to work in a system where you are not only overworked but under compensated too. No wonder the culture of corruption thrives in such a system because there are some employees and official who want to make money and increase their income even in illegal ways. Corruption on the other hand is not due to money and wealth alone, it is also of greed, lust, and vices. And corruption like a disease is also communicable. Young and old alike in the government service are susceptible for corruption in the same manner as those who work in the  non-government institutions.

I praise every individual who has the light and lead an honest and righteous life in the service. I praise also every citizen in this country who is willing to sacrifice himself in the quest for justice and battle against corruption. Major Ferdinand Marcelino is just one among the many Filipinos who sacrificed themselves to clean this society and government from corruption. Like the rest of Filipinos whose integrity and commitment in public service is without blemish and beyond question, I salute you!

The Perceived Defeat of the Reproductive Health Bill, Could the Church Coerce Congress?

If we believe on what the  Roman Catholic church on Thursday that it has sufficient support in the Philippine congress to defeat a “controversial family planning bill promoting sex education and the use of contraceptives” then we expect chaos brought about by unabated increase of population in the country.

The bishops according to Maria Fenny Tatad, executive director of the church lobby group Bishops-Legislators Caucus of the Philippines, believe they have a number of congressmen in the House of Representatives who could block the passage of the Reproductive Health Care Act. Out of the 238 members of the House of Representatives only 99 congressmen do support the bill.

Only 99 members of the 238-member House of Representatives have openly said they will support the Reproductive Health Care Act, while the rest are expected to side with the church, Tatad said. Population control is a highly politicized issue in the Philippines, where more than 80 percent of the 90 million population are Catholics.

I am not sure how true is this claim but the Catholic church in the Philippines “wields considerable public influence, frowns on any artificial form of birth control and has been waging a high-profile campaign to block the passage of the bill, which is now before congress,” as circulated in the news. However recent surveys showed that most Catholics are in favor of family planning and sex education to be taught in the public school. What is the Catholic church trying to imply with this statement? Are the bishops giving the public the impression that the Catholic church maintains a strong influence in the House of Representatives? I don’t think the Catholic church has that control anymore on the people in so far as population issues are concerned. It is highly improbable for the Catholic church to make one politician lose during the next election just because he supported the Reproductive Health Bill. I still believe people vote with their conscience not on what the church says. So there is no basis of that fear for congressmen losing because the priests control the minds of their parishioners. 

Philippine Population Commission has always mentained the importance of curbing incidence of birth so as not to overpopulate the country. The Philippine population growth rate of 2.04 according to International aid agencies and economists is one of of Asia’s highest. But the Catholic church is against these International agencies supporting the Reproductive Health Bill that will curb rapid population growth but insures the health of women on reproductive ages.

Contrary to what the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life say, the Reproductive Health Bill which includes family planning program, sex education, and advice on birth control, may not necessarily immoral. It only enhances people perspectives on reproductive  health and propagate values on responsible parenthood. Liberal minded people these days may understand which is socially appropriate without necessarily being “immoral.”

Obama is now the 44th US President, there is nothing else you can do Colegiala girl

I know he is going to win. He has all the indications to win. People love him. It is not the race but a promise of better economy that made him win. He is bi-racial, it is wrong to say he is the first African American to win as the president of the United States. He is not a hero like McCain, but he knows what it takes to be a hero. He is popular among the poor being a community organizer and having been exposed to the poverty of South East Asia. He deserves to win. Perhaps the world will be a more peaceful and productive world with him as the president of the United States. Perhaps war in Middle East would soon be over and thousands of American soldiers in Iraq will be home to be with their love ones in the the US. War is bitter, we are all losers. We need peace for that’s the only way the world would be peaceful and prosperous. 

Kaya Colegialagirl huwag ka nang malungkot. Huwag ka nang umiyak. Sayang lang ang iyong mga luha. Tanggapin mo na ang katotohanan na sawang-sawa na ang buong mundo sa giyera. Kailangang ang isang taong may malasakit sa kapayapaan, isang taong ayaw sa digmaan, at isang taong gumagamit ng mga mapayapang pamamaraan para lutasin ang mga gusot  sa sandaigdigan.

Mabuhay ka Obama. Ikaw talaga ang nahirang para maging pangulo ng America. Nasa iyong mga kamay ngayon ang kapayapaan, panindigan mo sana ang iyong mga pangako at gawan ng paraan itong global economic crisis. Nasa iyong mga palad ang Kapalaran ng buong daigdig. Huwag mo sanang palalampasin ang pagkakataong ibinigay sa iyo. Napili ka bilang pangulo ng America dahil naniniwala sila na masa karapat-dapat kang pagkatiwalaan kay sa iyong katunggaling si McCain. Kaya lang sir, huwag mo sanang bibigoin ang lahat na sumuporta sa iyo.

At sa iyo naman Colegiala girl, dahil si McCain ang pinili mo, karapat-dapat ka lang na magpakain sa akin. Kasi kung si McCain naman ang nanalo, pakakainin din kita ng libre kagaya nang gagawin mo sa akin ngayon. Huwag ka nang malungkot na natalo si Sarah Palin dahil nandiyan pa rin si Vilma Santos. Anong malay mo siya ang mananalong Vice-president sa 2010. E di parang nanalo na rin si Sara Palin. Di ba magkamukha sila?

Hindi sa ako ay nangangantiyaw sa iyo, pero saan mang labanan ay may nananalo at may natatalo. Nagkataon lang ako ang nanalo sa ating pustahan kaya dapat lang na paninidigan mo ang ating kasunduan. Huwag kang mag-alala. Hindi naman ako matakaw gaya nang sinabi mo. Pero titiyakin ko sa iyon kulang ang isang pizza para sa akin. At iyong japanese food, maaring pag-usapan natin na kapag nakuha mo na lang ang iyong bonus. Huwag ka sanang malulungkot dahil sa bawat pagkabigo ay may naghihintay ng tagumpay.

Sorry, Jocjoc Bolante is not Coming Home Yet

The Final Update:

Joc-joc Bolante arrived already in RP from the US last Tuesday night but brought to the St. Luke’s medical Center not in the Philippine Senate. The question, will he appear in the Senate to answer all the accusations hurled against him being the architect in the multi-million fertilizer scam? How will the opposition in the Senate handle Angara’s refusal to re-open the case?

Below is a news update from abs-cbn.NEWS.com

“Former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn ‘Joc-joc’ Bolante arrived from the US Tuesday night and vowed to appear before the ”proper forum” to give his side on allegations that he orchestrated the diversion of P728 million in fertilizer funds to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s election campaign in 2004. Bolante arrived at the NAIA on board Northwest Airlines flight 71 around 10:45 p.m.”

“Bolante, who has visibly aged and lost weight, was then wheeled to the airport’s immigration office for processing.”

“After the processing at the immigration, he was whisked to a white ambulance van which took him to the hospital.”

Upon arrival at SLMC, Bolante was immediately taken to a room.

Dimacali said the Senate arresting team will be guarding the former agriculture official while he undergoes the check up.

UPDATE from abs-cbn.NEWS.com:  Joc-joc Bolante is on Northwest Airllines flight 71 to Nagoya, Japan en route to Manila according to Alfonso Cusi’s, Manager of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport . He said at ANC, “The info we had is Jocjoc Bolante is on board Northwest 71, that’s coming from [a] source which I can’t name, it’s confirmed that he is on board Northwest 71.” 

“We’re making arrangements… he has to follow normal process for arriving passenger, except that of course, he being a deportee, he has to undergo certain processing, turnover from [US] marshal escorting him to our officers here in immigration,” the airport chief said

For those who are waiting for Jocjoc Bolante, sorry but your man will not arrive in the country as expected. He is still at the US after he failed to board Northwest Airlines flight 71 bound to Nagoya, Japan. Don’t worry; said the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), he is still in their custody. Here is an excerpt of that news 

Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante failed to board Northwest Airlines flight 71 to Nagoya, Japan en route to Manila after he was ordered deported by the United States earlier this week.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), however, said Bolante, wanted by the Philippine Senate for repeatedly ignoring its summons to explain his alleged involvement in the malversation of P728 million in fertilizer funds, is still in their custody. ICE did not elaborate. According to Don Tagala, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau correspondent, they did not see Bolante on the Northwest flight 71 bound for Nagoya from Detroit as of 4:05 a.m. Manila time.

Gail Montenegro of the US ICE, meanwhile, told ABS-CBN new bureau chief Ging Reyes in an e-mail that Bolante “remains in the custody of the immigration and customs department.

“Mr. Jocelyn Bolante remains in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending his removal from the United States,” Montenegro said.

She, however, did not say anything about Bolante’s present location.

Montenegro added that Bolante has been accorded due process and is awaiting a final order for deportation from a federal immigration judge.

A check at online flight status Website www.flightstats.com, meanwhile, said Northwest flight 71 left on time from the Detroit International Airport. The flight was scheduled to arrive at 6 p.m. in Nagoya.

Tentative schedule for arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1, on the other hand, was at 11 p.m. Tuesday.

From: abs-cbn.NEWS.com

But upon his arrival at the Airport, he will immediately be arrested. Senate president Manny Villar already issued an order to Gen. Jose Balajadia Jr., the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to implement the arrest order. Villar insisted that the arrest order issued against former Agriculture Usec. Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante for his failure to attend the public hearings of the Committees on Agriculture and Food and Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon) on the P728 million Fertlizer Fund Scam is still valid.

Although Jocjoc Bolante’s lawyer Antonio Zulueta warned that only the Office of the Ombudsman could investigate Bolante. And if the Senators want to arrest him, they should first secure a warrant of arrest from a court. But Zulueta said he will only allow officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Immigration to “process” his client upon his arrival. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez already instructed NBI director Nestor Mantaring to “receive” Bolante “as is required in all cases pf returning Filipinos who are deported from abroad.”   

Now the question, who will prevail in arresting, receiving, and processing Jocjoc Bolante? A lot of people is interested with him, a lot of people will be waiting for him when he finally comes home upon release by the US immigration and customs authorities. Like any other Filipino citizen hoping that justice be done to what he did, I want this guy alive to speak what he knows about the multi-million pesos fertilizer scam. But I am afraid too that some shadowy groups may just be lucky to silence him forever. 

Majority of Filipino Catholics Support the Reproductive Health Bill

You may agree or disagree with me but news indicate that majority of the Filipinos are now supporting measures that control the swelling of the population and a law that promotes the reproductive health of women based on the result of the latest survey conducted by Social Weather Stations where 71 percent favor the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill, and 76 percent are in favor of teaching sex education and family planning in public schools. 

The News: (From ABS-CBN news on line) 

Majority of Filipinos are in favor of  Reproductive Health Bill and Sex Education in Public Schools. 

Seventy-six percent of adult Filipinos want family planning education in the public schools while 71 percent favor passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, a survey by research firm Social Weather Stations said Thursday.  

In the survey conducted last September 24 to 27, 76 percent of 1,500 respondents agreed to the test statement “There should be a law that requires government to teach family planning to the youth” while 10 percent disagreed.  

Support for family planning education is high in all areas: agreement is 78% in Balance Luzon, 77% in the Visayas, 76% in Metro Manila, and 72% in Mindanao. It is also high across socioeconomic classes: 78% in class ABC, 78% in class D, and 71% among class E. 

Sex education in classrooms is one of the issues opposed by hardline Catholics in the proposed RH Bill. Under the proposed measure, sex education will be taught to students from Grade 5 to fourth year high school.  

The survey, however, showed overwhelming support to teaching sex education to classrooms with three out of four men (75%) and women (77%) supporting a law requiring family planning education for the youth. The support is equally high among singles and marrieds.  

It also showed 76 percent of Catholics and 78 percent of non-Catholics supporting sex education for the youth, regardless of frequency of church-going, and regardless of trust in the Catholic church. 

Faculty Members of a Catholic School Support Reproductive Health Bill (HB 5043) 

Fourteen faculty members of Catholic school Ateneo De Manila University are out to prove that not all Catholics agree with the Catholic Church’s opposition to the controversial reproductive health bill pending in the House of Representatives.

In a 16-page position paper full of quotes from Catholic Church teachings and scientific studies on health, population, and poverty, the faculty members expressed their strong support for House Bill 5043 because “we believe that the provisions of the bill adhere to core principles of the Catholic social teaching.”

The bill is controversial for promoting contraceptives and imposing sex education in schools starting in Grade 5. Catholic bishops have tagged the bill as “pro-abortion” and “anti-life.” 

Although they are aware of the Church’s position, the faculty members said in the paper “our reason, informed by our faith, has led us to believe and say otherwise.” They argued that the bill is actually pro-life, pro-women, and pro-poor.

They argued that the HB 5043—by providing universal access to medically-safe, legal, affordable, and quality reproductive health services—will improve the country’ maternal and child health situation, prevent abortion, help poor families, and make the youth more responsible sexually.

“We ask our bishops and fellow Catholics not to block the passage of House Bill 5043…. To campaign against the bill is to deny our people, especially our women, many other benefits, such as maternal and child health and nutrition; promotion of breastfeeding; adolescent and youth health; reproductive health education; prevention and management of gynecological conditions; and provision of information and services addressing the reproductive health needs of marginalized sectors, among others,” the paper said. 

Reaction:

It appears, as shown by the survey, that majority of the Filipinos are in favor of Reproductive Health Bill and the teaching of Sex Education in the public schools. What is surprising here is the number of respondents Catholics (76 percent), and Non-Catholics (78 percent) among the Filipinos supporting measures that control the swelling of the population and promoting the reproductive health of women. There is one reason for this in my own opinion, poverty and the worsening world economic crisis. Besides, people are getting more practical these days. You may not agree with me but gone are the days when the church could dictate anything it wants to its believers. 

Take the case of 14 faculty members from Ateneo de Manila, a Catholic school, who are out to prove that not all Catholics agree with the Catholic Church’s opposition to the passage of the controversial reproductive health bill. In their “16-page position” paper they countered the Church opposition to the Reproductive Health Bill “quoting from Catholic Church teachings and scientific studies on health, population, and poverty.” One faculty unfortunately belongs to the Department of Theology. 

Does this show a crack in the position of the church against reproductive health bill? Of course those who support the position of the church may say no. And the debate continues even if majority of the Filipinos are now seeing more on the practical advantage of the bill.

The foundation of trust, the population management debate

Trust is defined as “firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.” This phenomenon has been extensively explored by various disciplines across the field of social sciences, including economics, social psychology, and political science. And socio-behaviorist have different ways of looking at it.

 

Rousseau and her colleagues define it in this manner. “Trust is a psychological state comprising the intention to accept vulnerability based upon positive expectations of the intentions or behavior of another.” Likewise, Lewicki and his colleagues describe trust as “an individual’s belief in, and willingness to act on the basis of, the words, actions, and decisions of another.” Because we are not the only organism in the social environment we exist, trust transpires from our interdependence with others. We depend on others to help “us obtain, or at least not to frustrate, the outcomes we value,” according to Lewicki and Tomlinson.

 

“Trust has been identified as a key element of successful conflict resolution (including negotiation and mediation). This is not surprising insofar as trust is associated with enhanced cooperation, information sharing, and problem solving.” In the light of this, there are three factors that influence trustworthy behavior. Ability, assessment of other’s knowledge, skill, or competency, it requires some sense that the other is able to perform in a matter that meets expectations. Integrity, the degree to which the trustee adheres to principles that is acceptable to the trustor. Trust in this context is based on “consistency of past actions, credibility of communications, commitment to standards and fairness, and the congruence of the other’s words and deeds.” Benevolence, trusted individuals are concerned enough about promoting our welfare interests and at the same manner do not impede them.   

 

In the case of our population program, which is more trusted here, those who propose and support population laws/policies that governs population management in the country or those who impede them because they find it as something immoral and unnecessarily counter productive? 

 

Why do we trust the position of the Catholic Church in its pro-life stance?

 

If one has to trust the words of Francisco Tatad, this is what he says in favor of the position of the Catholic Church in its pro-life stance.

 

“The population has many problems. But population is not itself the problem. Assuming there are problems associated with population growth, the reproductive health bill does not provide any answers. I hope the following will help put this bill to rest and allow the nation to devote its time, energy and resources to its real and more pressing problems.”

 

There are two items in his views which worth looking into:

 

There is no “population explosion” and the country is not overpopulated.

”The population growth rate and the total fertility rate (TFR) have declined. The National Statistics Office puts the growth rate at 2.04 %, the TFR at 3.02. However, the CIA World Factbook (2008), for one, puts the growth rate at 1.728%, the TFR at 3.00.” 

“The country has a population density of 277 Filipinos per square km, with a GDP per capita (purchasing power parity) of $,3400”

”This means a Filipino has more years to be productive than his counterpart in the developed world, where the population is graying and dying, without adequate replacement because of negative birth rates.”

 

The Bill according to him is destructive of public morals and family values

”It seeks to legislate a hedonistic sex-oriented lifestyle whose aim is to assure couples and everybody else of “a safe and satisfying sex life” (the other term for contraceptive sex), instead of a mutually fulfilling conjugal life, and ultimately change time-honored Filipino values about human life, family life, marriage, in favor of the most destructive counter-values that are wreaking havoc on the morals of many consumerist societies.” 

But what is there too in the statements of the pro Reproductive Health Bill that deserve our trust?

 

In his privilege speech in the Congress, proponent of the Reproductive Health Bill Congressman Edcel Lagman has this to say.

 

“The use of contraceptives for family planning does not make acceptors bad Catholics. But having more children whom parent can ill-afford to feed, educate, medicate, guide, and love makes them irresponsible regardless of their religion.”

 

“We must open our minds to the import and merits of the reproductive health bill and reject contrived criticisms, expose barefaced lies, refute malicious innuendoes, and resist menacing threats.”

 

AKBAYAN Representative Risa Hontiveros on the other hand also expresses the significance of recognizing the health of every woman still in the reproductive age in this country. She says:

 

“We may not be united in supporting the RH bill, but we must at the very least recognize that reproductive health is a women’s issue. It is us, after all, who bear and nurture the child.”

 

One group of supporting the Reproductive Health Bill asks: “Why is it important to focus on reproductive health?”

 

The results of the 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) show that Filipino women, especially among the ranks of the poor, still bear more children than they desire.

Only half of married women practice family planning because of lack of information and proper knowledge of various family planning methods and services. The greater proportion of these women live in rural areas where there are few service providers and where services are scarce and inaccessible.

 

Poor women have three times more children than the rich (5.9 children for the poor and 2.0 for the rich), give birth to their first child at a younger age, and have more problems spacing their children than wealthier women.

 

Likewise, men who belong to the poorest segments of society have more children (5) compared to those who belong to the richest sectors (3). One in four pregnancies is mistimed and one in five is not wanted at all.

Meanwhile, despite the advances made in medicine, maternal health remains problematic in the country:

 

Maternal mortality is pegged at a disturbing 162 for every 100,000 live births (2006 Family Planning Survey). The only exceptions are a handful of areas where there is an efficient program on maternal and child health, such as the municipality of Carmen, Bohol. The vast majority of local governments have yet to establish a system that would drastically reduce maternal mortality.

Only 38 percent of deliveries have been found to be attended by skilled health professionals (2003 NDHS). Majority still seek the services of traditional hilots because they could not afford birthing in hospitals or because of lack of proper information.

 

Unless these people’s needs are addressed, Filipinos will keep on having more children than they want and can afford to have, and thousands of mothers will continue to die from causes that could have been prevented, were they only provided with complete information and services on reproductive health.

 

Who can be trusted?

 

The debate on population has been going on for years. Majority of people have been confused and keep confusing themselves with these varying views. But who among them are really telling the truth? Who among them is really concerned about life and the conditions for a rightful living? Who among them shows real benevolence in looking into the social and economic interest of the people? Unless population views are really guided by the interest of the people morally, spiritually, and physically it will be difficult to build our trust on whoever is speaking pro or against the Reproductive Health Bill.