Palace appeals for reconciliation after RH bill approval

December 18, 2012 2:21pm



After the heated debates that marked Congress deliberations on the now-approved Reproductive Health (RH) bill, it is now time for reconciliation and moving on, a Malacañang official said Tuesday.

“It's time now to reconcile with different sides,” Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communication Development and Strategic Planning Office, said in an interview with GMA News Online editor-in-chief and 'News To Go' anchor Howie Severino.

“Ang laki ng naging debate dito at nahati talaga ang ating lipunan sa isyu na ito. And now, our leaders have made a decision at ipinasa na itong bill na ito. I think it's time for all sides to come together and to reach out to each other and to put this behind us,” he added.

He said the administration has many advocacies in common with the Catholic Church, which has staunchly opposed the passage of the RH bill, and these should now be the focus and not the single issue that divides them.
“We would prefer moving forward, to look at where we have common stands in the environment, human rights, in social justice. So I think it's time for the administration to move on along with the Church,” Carandang said.

Less than a week after President Benigno Aquino III certified the RH bill as urgent, the two houses of Congress on Monday passed the highly controversial measure on third and final reading — a development that Malacañang has described as "historic."

The RH bill, which had been pending in the Congress for 14 years, promotes the use of both natural and artificial methods of birth control. It is being opposed by the Roman Catholic Church, which supports only natural family planning.


Herminio Coloma, head of Presidential Communications Operations Office, asked the Catholic Church to help the administration in its programs and projects that will uplift the lives of Filipinos.

“Sana'y humanap tayong lahat ng mga pagkakataon at pamamaraan upang tayo'y magtulungan sa pagpapanday ng mga programang magsususlong sa pag-angat ng kabuhayan at pag-ahon mula sa kahirapan ng mga mamamayang Pilipino,” he said in a text message to reporters.

Former Health secretary Esperanza Cabral, head convenor of Purple Ribbon for RH Movement, believed both sides were able to express their arguments regarding the RH bill and it is now time to work together to improve the lives of the people.

“Dapat tayo ay mag-isa na ulit dahil lahat naman tayo ang pangunahing gusto ay mapabuti ang buong bayan,” she said in a separate interview on News To Go.

Church officials hurt, sad

But Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said the next move of the Catholic Church would be to campaign against those who voted in favor of the RH bill and those who are planning to implement the same measure.

“Ang kampanya namin ay huwag nang iboto pati 'yung mga kakandidato na ang kanilang ipapairal na mga batas ay makasisira sa humanity at makasisira sa pananampalataya,” he said in an interview on Unang Balita.

“Overdue na, dapat hindi maging leader ang maging masamang halimbawa. It is high time that we should vote according to what kind of society we want to have,” he added.

He admitted that the Church was "hurt" with the result of the voting at the Senate and House of Representatives.

“Masakit, nakakalungkot. Syempre 'yung mga kongresista at senador na Katoliko daw sila, alam na namin na hindi sila Katoliko pero wala kaming magagawa dun kung nilalabanan nila ang aral ng simbahan,” Arguelles said.

“Ipagdarasal namin sila sapagkat may kaluluwa din naman sila. Sana ay hindi sila patuloy na mabitag ng masama at hindi patuloy sa pagtalikod sa utos ng Diyos,” he added.

No to division

Carandang said Aquino certified the bill as urgent in order not to divide the country further.

“The approach did no seem confrontational,” he said. “We want to get this passed without dividing the society so much. We know that there is a minority of people against RH bill pero kahit papaano gusto natin na magkaroon ng consensus ang ating lipunan tungkol sa issue na ito.”

He further said that Aquino has been very respectful of the different opinions of people and even allowed member of Liberal Party, which he heads, to vote according to their beliefs.

“Kahit mga LP members na ibang pananaw hinayaan niya na mag-express ng sarili nilang opinyon. May LP members na bumotong 'no',” he said.

Cabral said they would not stop advocating for RH bill until it becomes a law and would even make sure that the implementing rules and regulations will not deviate from the purpose of the measure.

“Maraming nagsasabi na kukuwestiyunin nila ito sa Supreme Court so handa pa rin tayo na makipagtagisan ng pag iisip at ng karapatan para talagang makuha ng mga kababaihan at kabataan ang karapatan to reproductive health,” she said. — Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News