From the website of HLI:
FRONT ROYAL, Virginia – The following is a statement from Father Shenan J. Boquet, president of Human Life International, on the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill (113-Yes, 104-No, 3-Abstentions) upon the second reading of the bill in the House of Representatives of the Philippines.
"This is a very dark day for the Philippines and for the fight for life and family around the world. The corruption of the legislative process that has been on full display leading up to this vote should trouble anyone who values open and accountable governments. President Aquino and other proponents of the bill have not only shown disdain for the faith that most of them profess, but also for women's health and for the nation's economic future.
"The irony to all of this is that much of the reasoning from the bill's supporters is that birth rates must come down if the Philippines is to join the ranks of the prosperous developed nations. They make this case even though these supposedly developed nations are all suffering a terrible financial downturn due in large part to curtailed population growth, and many are even trying to pay their citizens to have more children. Countries with stable governments, dynamic free markets and educated citizenry are thriving even though they are more densely populated. The RH Bill does nothing to address the nation's corruption, infrastructure and education deficiencies, and thus offers nothing in the way of prosperity other than large cash payments from Western governments and NGOs who see Filipino children as a threat to their own prosperity."
The House is scheduled to have a third reading of the bill on Monday, December 17, and another version of the RH Bill has also been scheduled for a vote in the Senate next week. Philippine President Benigno Aquino, an ardent supporter of the legislation, hopes to sign a final version of the bill into law by the end of the year.
"If this was about lowering maternal mortality rates they would be building hospitals, developing education programs for women and training birth attendants. That is not what they're doing, and this is not about women's health. Nor is it about lowering the rate of HIV/AIDS. This is about stopping Filipino children from being born, and as has been the case in every other nation that has widely accepted the contraceptive mentality, abortion is right around the corner.
"The chances of stopping the bill at this point may seem slim, but nothing is impossible with God. We pray with greater urgency that the Lord of Life will spare the people of the Philippines from joining in the slow demographic suicide of the supposedly developed nations, and will intervene in miraculous fashion."
About HLI: Human Life International: For the Glory of God and defense of Life, Faith and Family. Founded in 1981, HLI is the world’s largest international pro-life and pro-family organization, with affiliates and associates in over 80 countries on six continents. www.hli.org
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