Health
CBCP wants realignment of contraceptives budget
FILE: Package of birth control pills (Photo By Bryancalabro – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)
MANILA — An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Public Affairs Committee (CBCP-PAC) said that the funds intended for buying pills and condoms should be aligned in helping poor Filipinos to have access to hospitals and other benefits.
CBCP-PAC executive secretary Fr.
Jerome Secillano was reacting on the impending implementation of Reproductive Health (RH) Law after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that the 51 contraceptive products covered by the temporary restraining order (TRO) of the Supreme Court are not abortifacient or cannot cause abortion.
“Is it really sound to pour in billions for the procurement of pills and condoms while many Filipinos don’t even have access to real medicines when they get sick?
” he asked.
“Can these “non-abortifacients” be an alternative for food and shelter which the Filipinos truly need?” the Catholic priest added.
With this, the CBCP-PAC official noted that they will monitor the implementation of RH Law if it will help stop poverty in the country.
“Let’s see whether RH Law once implemented will indeed curb poverty in our country,” Secillano said.
Over PHP300 million has been allocated by the House of Representatives in its version of the 2018 General Appropriations Act for the implementation of the controversial law.
The Catholic Church has repeatedly rejected RH law, saying that it is not pro-people and not pro-God. (Ferdinand G. Patinio/PNA)
Marcus Swanepoel
November 19, 2017 at 8:01 PM
Why is the Inquirer giving this story so much airtime? This is the fourth version of it on the platform. If the Church wants to dictate to the government how to spend taxpayer money, perhaps it is time for the church to start paying taxes.
Lunarequinox
November 22, 2017 at 4:26 PM
Because the Inquirer and the Church are both… _ _ _ _ _ _ . I agree that the Church should be taxed and taxes heavily.
Lunarequinox
November 22, 2017 at 4:24 PM
WHY is the Church MEDDLING with contraceptives? Are they the ones using it? Are they the ones in need of it? Why don’t you untaxed hypocrites stay the hell out of reproductive issues? Taxpayers paid for their taxes to avail of this, you hypocrites in robes pretending to be righteous do not pay taxes. You want a say in this issue? PAY TAXES!! Until then, stay out of our bedroom, stay out of our uterus and most of all – respect the separation of Church and State!