Walking priest urges Aquino to junk RH bill

source: gma

A Mindanao-based priest who is on a cross-country walk for peace and life urged President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to junk the reproductive health (RH) bill.

Fr. Amado Picardal who is on a 2,000-kilometer (km) trek from Mindanao to Northern Luzon arrived in Malacañang on Tuesday to deliver a letter to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

"I dare to write this letter to you because I believe that you listen to the voices of the people whom you consider as your Boss and whom you pledged to serve. My voice is only one small voice among many. But it deserves serious consideration because I walk my talk," Picardal said in his letter, excerpts of which were posted on his blog site Tuesday.


Picardal said he wrote the letter on March 31, saved it in a USB flash drive, and carried it in his backpack during his journey, which began on April 1 in Davao City.

Picardal raised four points in his letter:

The armed conflict in the countryside that has caused the loss of so many lives and the need to support the ongoing peace process between the government and the revolutionary groups such as the National Democratic Front and Moro Islamic Liberation Front

The destruction of the environment and the threat to the way of life and cultures of the indigenous peoples – due to mining and logging.

The extra-judicial killings carried out by death squads, allegedly inspired or abetted by some local government officials and police personnel in many cities in the Philippines.

The RH bill being debated in Congress, "which promotes an aggressive population control program which is based on a questionable if not false assumptions that there is a crisis of overpopulation which perpetuates poverty and is a hindrance to sustainable economic development."

"I hope this letter will reach you and not end in the waste basket. This is special delivery – not through e-mail or air-mail. I carry it myself in my backpack on foot – from Mindanao, through Visayas and Luzon," Picardal said in his letter to Aquino.

In making his appeal against the RH bill, Picardal said he was "grateful" Aquino has not treated the RH bill or his Responsible Parenthood Bill as a priority measure.

But he questioned the logic behind the RH bill, particularly the connection between a population explosion and the poverty of people.

He warned Aquino the message he is promoting is that "Walang mahirap kung konti lang ang bata" and "Para sa ikaaunlad ng bayan, contraception at sex education ang kailangan."

"You know very well that the cause of poverty is not overpopulation and it is even questionable whether we are facing a crisis of overpopulation. The population growth rate and total fertility rate have gone down and continues to go down. The crisis that the world is facing is the demographic winter – an aging population, with less young people. This is why other countries need our OFWs," he told Aquino.

"It would be better if you focus on poverty-alleviation, quality education for all, and universal health program (not just reproductive health). I agree with you that we need to promote Responsible Parenthood which includes sex-education taught within the context of religious and cultural values but it cannot be legislated and funded by billions coming from our taxes," he added.

He also reminded Aquino the Catholic Church is not a hindrance to progress and development, and assured Aquino he need not worry about excommunication.

Aquino had told University of the Philippines graduates last month he was willing to push his Responsible Parenthood bill at the risk of excommunication by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.

"The Church is not your enemy. You don’t have to worry about the threat of excommunication from the CBCP – which was a false report. Please consider the Church as a partner for the achievement of common good, for poverty-alleviation, for justice and peace, and for the defense of life and the environment. When the Church criticizes the policies and behavior of those in government it is always in line with her prophetic mission and in defense of the values of life, peace and justice," he said.

"Your late mother and father (whose memory I too venerate) appreciated the historic contribution of the Church in transforming society. It would be sad and a great disservice to our people if the remaining years of your presidency is spent in an adversarial and conflictive relationship with the Catholic Church," he added.

source: gma