Reproductive Health Law declared constitutional by the Philippine Supreme Court

The dividing issue of Reproductive Health Law was declared constitutional by the Philippine Supreme Court after long hours of deliberation among justices in an En banc session conducted yesterday, 08 April 2014, in Baguio City, the country’s summer capital. The RH Law which was approved by both lower and upper house of congress in 2012 and signed into law by President Noynoy Aquino, met  gravis or serious opposition from no less than the Catholic Church and moralist groups like the PRO-LIFE Philippines.

For thirteen long years the anti-RH Law advocates did put a good fight using their vast influence and resources through sermons in churches and other means of communication demonizing the reproductive health law as a real threat to humanity. The Catholic Church, in particular, aggressively campaigned against it, and based on their arguments the RH Law is immoral because it encourages promiscuity, family breakup, sexually transmitted diseases and abortion.

Others argued that the reproductive health law is designed to control the population of the Philippines to its lowest level as dictated upon by suspected and unseen foreign entity who is bend on world depopulation to satisfy their hidden agenda of less population less problem for human race. Whether this is true or not, the anti-RH Law advocates lost their battle but promised not to surrender the morally correct interpretation of reproductive health and responsible parenthood.

While the moralist groups are mourning their lost cause, the Pro-RH Law supporters are celebrating and rejoicing, magnifying their ardent advocacy for women and children’s rights accorded to by the constitutionality of the RH Law which became their battle cry during the decisive and intense lobbying in the lower house and the senate. The winning moments of the Pro-RH Law supporters can be seen in their faces and the reaction was too loud upon hearing the announcement of the decision by the Supreme Court’s spokesperson. The boisterous PRO-RH Law crowd overwhelmed the ANTI-RH Law advocates gathered in front of the Supreme Court building, although both opposing groups were civil to each other.  

The new law, as sufficed by the proponents or authors, primarily support the needs of women and children regarding reproductive health, sex education, family planning, use of contraceptives or birth control methods, use of government health facilities conducive to the needs of women and young adults having problems in reproductive issues. But this was contradicted by Atty. Fajardo of Ateneo Law School and a PRO-LIFE advocate. He told me that the 3 billion pesos proposed budget for the RH Law implementation won’t help any, only the big pharmaceutical companies will benefit and other stakeholders who will act as conduits and implementers of the billion budget for the Reproductive Health Law.