“So, Noynoy, what now? Do you cave in to the bribe offer that would reward you with the support of the Catholic bishops in exchange forgiving up your support of the Reproductive Health Bill?”
by Ducky Paredes
When Isabela Governor Grace Padaca spoke before the Rotary Clubs of Zone 6 last week, I was struck with something she said – that changing one’s stand on issues just to win an election is as bad as or even a worse offense than corruption.
Yet, even now, Noynoy Aquino who has not yet even filed his certificate of candidacy has already been offered a bribe by one Jose Collin Bagaforo, who happens to be the Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Cotabato.
Bagaforo said: “I think he (Aquino)
has to withdraw his support sa reproductive health bill dahil kung mababawi
niya ang suporta sa RH bill ay pwede pang suportahan siya ng lahat ng obispo
para manalo na presidente ng bansa.”
Another CBCP official, Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life wants to force Catholic to go into “bloc voting” to support those who are opposed to the bill. One wonders if the Catholic Church is so petty that it would stand or fall on just his one issue – one piece of legislation.
So, Noynoy, what now? Do you cave in to the bribe offer that would reward you with the support of the Catholic bishops in exchange for giving up your support of the Reproductive Health Bill? This is a simple matter of trading your principles for political support. It is no different from taking a bribe to award a government contract to a bribe-giver. It does not really mater if the bribe-giver is the Catholic Church, the Americans, Makati businessmen or a slimy crook. The principle involved in bribe giving and bribe taking is the same. Ask Grace.
My thinking on this is that the Catholic Church in the Philippines apparently wants to go the way of the Iglesia ni Cristo which has, in election after election, used its solid vote to gain political power. So, what happens to the Constitutional provision that says: “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable”?
As for Noynoy, he also ought to look at recent surveys, which generally show that a big majority of Pinoys favor having a law on reproductive health and family planning. But neither surveys or winning ought to guide him and other politicians – traditional or principled - on this issue.
In Cebu, a polling organization found that in all six congressional districts of the province, 87 percent favored such a law while 9 out of 10 or 90 percent of Cebuanos favor a provincial policy on RH. About 93 percent of those who responded to the SWS survey were Catholics.
We have a basic problem in this country. Our population is growing at a rate that is too fast for our economy (which is growing at a slower rate) to support.
That is the problem. A part of the solution is offered by the reproduction health bill (which could easily be called the responsible parenthood bill) that is being considered by our congress.
While the bill suggests ways of cutting down our population growth rate, it does not force anyone to use particular methods. I would think that if the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines had been doing its work properly, that its adherents would avoid the methods that the Church disallows.
Instead, as if to admit that it has not been talking to its flock at all, the Church wants these methods banned by the State. But, what about those of us who are not Catholics or who are Catholics but have stopped listening to the Church and believe in thinking our way through these issues and who make up our minds on what we should do? Are we to be regarded as apostates?
Perhaps the bishops also ought to ask themselves whether they want to have the power that the Iglesia had over politicians and how seeking and wielding such power would affect what should be their primary mission of caring for Pinoy souls?
Is having the power to intimidate the State and its officials the important thing now for our bishops? Rather than speak to our souls, do they want a return to the time when we were a colony of Spain and the friars lorded it over every one?
Would we want to continue to live under such a regime? Not me. Count me out of what can only be a return to what Marcelo del Pilar called “La Frailocracia Filipina.”
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The fifth leg of the San Mig Coffee Sugar Free Senior Golf Series of the Federation of Philippine Amateur Senior Golfers, Inc. (FPASGI) will be held Sept. 25 at the Mimosa Golf and Country Club in Angeles City, Pampanga with sequential tee-off between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
Some 150 players are competing for team and individual honors in the 18-hole event organized by the federation to provide additional activities for its members. It will be hosted by Mimosa Senior Golfers Association, Inc. (MSGA) headed by president Pat Heron.
“I would like to express our gratitude to San Mig Coffee Sugar Free for sponsoring our six-leg series this year,” FPASGI president Clyde Fernandez said.
As with all of the legs of the San Mig Senior Golf Series, there will be raffle prizes for all participants, give-aways of San Miguel products as well as trophies for age group Champions and runners-up and for the winner of the team competition between competing member-clubs of the FPASGI.
All FPASGI members are invited to join this tournament, which is the second to the last tournament. The last tournament in the series will be held in December. Pat Herron, president of the MSGA promises fabulous prizes for all FPASGI members who will join the tournament.
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“Ang manga utos nang Fraile ay sampo: Ang nauna: Sambahin mo ang Fraile na lalo sa lahat. Ang ikalaua: Huag kang mag papahamak manuba nang ngalang deretsos. Ang ikatlo:
Mangilin ka sa Fraile lingo man at fiesta. Ang ikapat: Isangla mo ang catauan mo sa pagpapalibing sa ama’t ina, Ang ikalima: Huag kang mamamatay kung uala pang salaping pang libing. Ang ikanim: Huag kang makiapid sa kanyang asaua. Ang ikapito: Huag kang makinakaw. Ang ikaualo: Huag mo silang pagbibintangan, kahit ka masinungalingan. Ang ikasiyam: Huag mong ipagkait ang iyong asaua. Ang ikapulo: Huag mong itangui ang iyong ari.
Itong sampong utos nang Fraile ay dalaua ang kinaoouian. Ang isa: Sambahin mo ang Fraile lalo sa lahat. Ang ikalaua: Ihayin mo naman sa kaniya ang puri mo’t kayamanan. Siya naua.” – Marcelo H. del Pilar
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hvp 09.16.09
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