[In the news] Common grounds – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Common grounds – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos. Philippine Daily Inquirer IN SPITE of the public noise it has generated for years, one can hardly say that the controversy over the reproductive health bill is moving toward resolution. In fact, very recently, it looked like it has been pushed back into one more web of…

Human Rights Online Philippines

May 3, 2011

2–3 minutes

Benigno Aquino III, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Corazon Aquino, Osama bin Laden, Philippine, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Reproductive health, Reproductive Health Bill

Common grounds – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

IN SPITE of the public noise it has generated for years, one can hardly say that the controversy over the reproductive health bill is moving toward resolution. In fact, very recently, it looked like it has been pushed back into one more web of uncertainty after several Catholic bishops indicated that they might abandon for good the path of dialogue they have taken with the Aquino administration to resolve contentious issues around the RH bill.

Ricardo Cardinal Vidal of Cebu by clericalwhispers.blogspot.com — Ricardo Cardinal Vidal of Cebu. File photo source: clericalwhispers.blogspot.com

“If he has already such a decision, what is the dialogue for?” recently retired Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal bristled last April 26 in reaction to reports that the RH bill had been endorsed by President Aquino who prefers to call it Responsible Parenthood bill. “When you are into a dialogue, there should be no stand yet, but with the stand that they have already made, there’s no need for it,” the cardinal said.

Two days later, Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo echoed Vidal’s call, saying this was as well the sentiment of other bishops. “He will be endorsing the approval of the RH bill, so what’s the need for the dialogue,” he said. The new Archbishop of Cebu Jose Palma even went overboard by putting all supporters of the RH bill in the category of terrorist Osama bin Laden who, incidentally, was slain the other day.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines expressed its openness to a dialogue when the debate on the RH bill started in 2008, during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who gratified the bishops with her backhanded signals regarding the RH bill. It was only late last year that the Church and the government, with a new, openly pro-RH President in place, got to really sit together on the RH bill.

Read full article @ INQUIRER.net (Link above)