Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma told reporters on Wednesday he would not allow pulpits in his archdiocese to be used in the campaign in the elections next year against lawmakers who voted for the reproductive health (RH) bill.
鈥淭hat is not bound to happen,鈥� said Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops鈥� Conference of the Philippines, adding that the Pope would not allow this. However, he said that lay people could campaign against those who approved the RH bill.
Already, an international prolife group is asking the people to vote against the pro-RH lawmakers.
鈥淭o our voters, please remember the names of those who voted for the RH bill. Don鈥檛 return them to office,鈥� said Ligaya Anacta-Acosta, Human Life International director for Asia and Oceania.
In Lucena City, Fr. Robert Reyes, an activist known as the 鈥渞unning priest鈥� for using marathons to publicize his causes, on Friday blamed the Catholic Church hierarchy for its failure to stop the passage of the RH bill.
鈥淭he leaders of the Church should not always talk to the faithful from the comfort of the pulpit. Every priest and bishop should now learn to step down from their pedestal and reach out to the greater masses of our suffering people to know their true condition, needs and aspiration,鈥� Reyes said in a phone interview.
鈥淭he presence of the Church against human rights violations, agrarian reform, the plight of the urban poor and other pressing social concerns is wanting,鈥� he lamented.
With the RH bill set to be signed into law by President Aquino, its principal author on Friday said the measure would benefit at least 7.5 million students in public schools who would be exposed to sex education.
Citing data from the Department of Education, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, who campaigned for the RH bill for many years, was referring to adolescents from Grade 6 to high school.
鈥淭he mandatory age and development appropriate reproductive health education among the young as prescribed in the reconciled RH bill will initially benefit no less than 7.5 million adolescents,鈥� he said in a statement.
鈥淭he number of beneficiaries would even increase if RH education would start at an earlier grade than Grade 6 because the period of adolescence starts at an age lower than those of 6th graders,鈥� he claimed.
Lagman cited the bill鈥檚 provision defining adolescents as 鈥測oung people between the ages of 10 and 19 years who are in transition from childhood to adulthood.鈥�
Major issue
鈥淪ince the young should not be deprived of RH education just because they are enrolled in private schools, it is expected that many private elementary and secondary schools would opt to teach reproductive health education to equally educate their pupils and students,鈥� he said.
The provision mandating sex education was a major issue during congressional debates on the RH bill.
During the period of individual amendments, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez asked that 鈥渕andatory age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education鈥� be taught starting 鈥渟enior high school,鈥� not Grade 6.
Rodriguez was concerned that starting with Grade 6 pupils might lead to 鈥渕isunderstanding鈥� on lessons pertaining to 鈥渟ex, sexuality and reproductive health.鈥�
鈥楾oo late鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 irreparable if these children will misapprehend (the lessons),鈥� he said.
But Lagman was adamant, saying starting sex education lessons among adolescents aged 16 or 17 would be 鈥渢oo late.鈥�
As a compromise, he accepted a proposal to amend the provision, which now states: 鈥淎ge-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education shall be taught by adequately trained and qualified teachers.鈥�
He also agreed to a proposal by Rodriguez to include the sentence: 鈥淯pon due notification by the Department of Education and private educational institutions through the principals in writing two weeks before classes start, parents shall be informed of the option of not allowing their minor children to attend classes pertaining to reproductive health.鈥� With reports from Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon; and Joey A. Gabieta and Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas