domingo, 2 de diciembre de 2012

RH will destroy the Filipino Family

RH will destroy the Filipino Family
By Dennis Yu[1]

1. Dissecting the RH Bill

a.    The problem being addressed by the Bill
The latest version of the RH Bill[2] does not refer to any specific problem related to demography. It does not mention at all the typical justification of population-control-to-eradicate-poverty. This version[3] refers to reproductive health per se. The Philippines, according to this Bill, needs a law on reproductive health. By implication, it says that the Philippines does not have any law that addresses the reproductive health needs, an implication that is incorrect since there are already laws that address many of the provisions of the Bill.[4]
     The Bill seeks to address the reproductive rights of everyone. In Section 2, it affirms that there is such a thing as reproductive right and that such right is part of the human rights. It cites the international agreements where the Philippines is a signatory implying that the Philippines has to comply with its promises. What is not written in the Bill, though, is that the Philippines signed these agreements as the condition for receiving loans from international financial institutions.[5]
     Paradoxically, however, the current head of International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, says that the “Philippines is in the enviable position of having a young population and a fast-growing work force, whereas most advanced countries and even some emerging markets in Asia have populations that are aging rapidly.”[6]

b.    The objective of the Bill
The main objective of the Bill is to give everyone of his/her reproductive rights. In its words, it gives the Filipinos a “safe and satisfying sex life”[7] and the “possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences.”[8]
   
c.    The means to be employed
There are basically two means to achieve this objective: distribution of contraceptives and sex education. Put another way: educating the people how to use contraceptives. This may sound too simplistic, but at the end of the day, that is what the Bill is trying to do.

2. Internal contradictions of the Bill 
The bill looks harmless and seems pro-women. But a careful reading of the bill brings several internal contradictions which include the bill's sections related to the prevention of teen pregnancies, the right to life of the unborn and post-abortion care. I will be commenting these three areas as I go through the next three sections of the paper: the damaging effects of the bill on (1) the person and (2) on the family, and the (3) role of the State.

3. The Bill’s damaging effects on the person
a.    Contraception

i.    The health risks of contraception
The pharmaceutical companies emphasize the benefits of their product and hide the negative effects. The Bill speaks of punishing any healthcare personnel who withholds information on the RH.[9] But does the Bill require aggressive and complete transparency as regards the negative effects of contraceptives? The user should know the possible abortive effect of some contraceptives: that she is possibly killing her own child. There should be a warning in big bold letters just like the health warning in the cigarettes: SMOKING KILLS. To cite just one of the many health risks: “Oral contraceptive use > 1 year was associated with a 2.5-fold increased risk for triple-negative breast cancer”.[10]

ii.    Contraceptive mentality
For the purposes of this paper, it is sufficient to look at Singapore (which has one of the lowest fertility rate in the world at 0.78). Singapore has been giving incentives for some decades now for couples to have more babies. Lee Kwan Yew, who was the author of the population control in Singapore, said that “in the future we will have to depend on immigrants to make up our numbers, for without them Singapore will face the prospect of a shrinking workforce and a stagnant economy.”[11]
     In an interview with a business leader, he said that the Philippines has to worry about the below-replacement fertility rate[12] when it eventually comes in a few decades or so. For now, according to him, the more urgent problem is to reduce the population growth. In Singapore, the fertility rate dropped steadily until it reached 2.1 in the 1970s. But it did not stop at 2.1. Here is summary of Singapore’s fertility rate[13]:

Year          2000    2001    2002    2003    2004    2005    2006    2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    2012      
Fertility    1.16     1.22     1.23     1.24     1.04     1.05     1.06     1.07      1.08    1.09       1.1      1.11     0.78     


     It seems irreversible according to Singapore’s experience. It took them a short time to “brainwash” the people for the fertility rate to fall. It is now taking them longer, if at all, to re-educate the people about all the advantages (economic, social and psychological/emotional) of having a large family.

iii.    Promiscuity
What, in fact, the RH does, in the U.S. experience, is to make the girls promiscuous. Take note that the RH does not limit the contraceptives to married people. They are to be given to everyone. When you give contraceptives, the message is clear: have a “satisfying sex life”[14]. You can have a “safe sex”. But that is a false promise! The statistics on abortion show that contraceptives fail, and fail a lot! Its failure has killed millions of human beings, some 1.2 million in 2007 in the U.S.[15]
     I do not know if the Filipino mothers have understood clearly that RH brings with it “casual sex” for their daughters. In the U.S., for the period 2006-2010, 4.4 million female teenagers engaged in pre-marital sex.[16] I don’t know if the Filipino mothers can think beyond the short-sightedness of the pro-RH people. This evil ideology should not be imposed on the Filipino nation.

iv.    Teen pregnancies
The Bill wants the Filipinos to have a “satisfying sex life”[17] and at the same time it intends to prevent teen pregnancies.[18] One has to be completely blind not to realize the contradiction of these two terms. Sex education will teach the teenagers on the pleasures of sex and expect him/her to control his/her urges at the same time.
     Why does the MTRCB[19] require “Parental Guidance” in watching some movies? Why does the State grant the right of suffrage only to those 18 and above? Why are minors not allowed to enter into any legal contract or own guns? It seems there is a difference between an adult and a minor!
     The minors do not have yet sufficient capacity to make serious decisions. And yet they are given “reproductive right”! They can decide to have or not to have another human being, and yet they cannot vote in the elections! True, it is nature that endowed them their biological capacity to reproduce. But it is also true that they were given hands and the capacity to kill other people at any age. When my friend was 7, he almost pulled the trigger of the revolver of his dad thinking that it was a toy gun. And we say: his dad should have been more careful with his gun, right? Similarly, should we not be more careful in teaching the teenagers about sex?
     The RH will not prevent teen pregnancies. Using contraceptives is not that easy. There are so many steps to follow to be able to use them successfully. The chances of pregnancy, therefore, are very high. In the U.S., in 2002, there were 10 million women who said that they got pregnant when they were teenagers (aged 15-19).[20]

b. Abortion
i.    Abortion is part of the contraceptive mentality
Due to the contraceptive mentality, pregnancy (= baby) is seen as a disease that has to be avoided at all cost. Contraceptives, according to the Bill, are to be treated as essential medicine[21] to cure the “sickness” of pregnancy. The next step, then, is abortion.
     To the contraceptive peddlers who say that contraceptive has nothing to do with abortion, and, in fact, is meant to reduce abortion, the statistical data of the Western countries belie their claims. In Spain there were 112,138 abortions in 2007. Here is the summary of abortions in Spain from 1992-2007[22]:

Year                  1999       2000       2001       2002      2003        2004       2005         2006        2007      
Abortions         58,399    63,756    69,857    77,125    79,788    84,985    91,664    101,592    112,138   

   
Year                  1992       1993       1994       1995       1996       1997       1998      
Abortions         44.962    45.503    47.832    49.367    51.002    49.578    53,847     

  
     Abortions have doubled in the last 10 years. Where is the efficiency of contraceptives in reducing abortions? Where is the sex education that will teach the girls to prevent pregnancy?

ii.    Right to life of the unborn
The Bill repeatedly “protects” the life of the unborn by affirming that abortifacient[23] is illegal, that the penal code on abortion is not repealed[24], that the mother and the unborn have equal rights[25]. It prohibits postcoital pills and emergency contraceptive pills.[26]
     But at the same time, it includes specifically the use of intra-uterine device (IUD)[27], a device that prevents implantation and hence abortifacient. It also includes hormonal contraceptives that are at the same time abortifacient. As contraceptive, it inhibits the ovulation. As abortifacient (meaning, when the contraceptive function fails, the “back up” is abortive), it inhibits the implantation of the fertilized ovum.[28]
     It seems that in the Senate debate last 19-XI-212, the senators refused to agree when life begins so as not to exclude IUD. They even put it on vote as if truths can be defined by popular democracy! (Even if they were to unanimously vote affirming that “Rizal never existed”, that will not change the fact that Rizal did exist.) Worse, the Bill implicitly acknowledges that, indeed, some contraceptives have abortive effects. Sec. 9 says that the “product… is made available on the condition that it is not to be used as an abortifacient.” But how can the government assure that the user will not use it as abortifacient?[29]

iii.    Post-abortion care
The Bill says it does not repeal the Penal Code on abortion.[30] It says, and I agree, that the abortionist mother should be given medical attention[31] inasmuch as she is sick. But once she has recovered, she has to take responsibility for her action: murder of the most innocent human being.
     True, the abortionist mother has suffered and will continue to suffer from many physical and psychological consequences of her abortion. But so is the rapist. He will be hounded throughout his life of the crime he committed. Why should the public be more “merciful” to the abortionist mother than to the rapist? The abortionist mother has committed a much graver crime than he. The rapist violated the dignity of his victim but he has not taken away her life. I am not trying to justify the rapist. I am just stating what should be obvious: that abortion is much graver than rape. Both the rapist and the abortionist mother should go to jail and pay for their crimes.

4. The Bill’s damaging effects on the family
a.    The big picture

The Philippines does not have to implement the Bill in order to see its consequences. The widespread use of contraception in the U.S. shows its damaging effects on the family.
    With a high number of pre-marital sex[32], there is also a high cohabitation rate. And as cohabitation increases, consequently, marriage decreases. But not only that: of the few who gets married, many end up getting divorced, marital infidelity (adultery) being one of the causes.
    There are many single mothers as a result of pre-marital sex and divorce. It is the woman who usually suffers. Where is equality, then? More and more children are born out of wedlock.

b.    Prevalence and use of contraception
The number of women (aged 15-44) who engaged in sexual intercourse and who has used whatever method of contraceptive is 99.1%.[33]

c.    Cohabitation and declining marriage
In 2002, there were 5.6 million women (aged 15-44) who are cohabiting.[34] In 1980, 16% of the total population aged 15-64 got married. In 2008, that number has fallen to 11%.[35]

d.    Single-parent household and children born out of wedlock
In 2008, an alarming 30%[36] of all households is single-parent household. That is to say, more than 1 in every 4 households is a single-parent household. Do we want this for the Philippines? In 2008, close to half (41%) of all the births are born to unmarried women. In France, it is 53% and in Sweden 55%.[37]

e.    Multiple opposite-sex partners (=adultery)
For the period 2006-2008, there were 46 million men (aged 15-44) who had more than one woman partner! Of this number, 13 million had 15 or more women partners in his lifetime! The corresponding numbers for women are 41 million and 5 million, respectively.[38]
    If teenagers were educated to have sex with different persons before they got married, why should they be faithful when they get married?

f.    Divorce rate
Marital infidelity often leads to divorce. In 2010, there were 2,096,000 marriage and 872,000 divorce and annulments. The average rate for 10 years is 40%. That is to say, almost half of the marriages end up in divorce and annulments![39]

5. Socio-political problems of the RH
a.    Principle of subsidiarity
One basic principle in political government is subsidiarity. "This tenet holds that nothing should be done by a larger and more complex organization which can be done as well by a smaller and simpler organization."[40]
Since the Bill does not use the population-control-to-eradicate-poverty justification, there is no reason why the State should enter a person’s private life. “Satisfying sex life”[41] has nothing to do whatsoever with the State inasmuch as it has nothing to do with one’s choice of career. Leave that to the person and to the family. Why should the State influence and condition one to be promiscuous?

b.    Spend tax on real needs
 The State should concern itself on real public needs. The classic doctrine on tax is that it cannot be imposed unless there is a real public need. This necessity can be (1) absolute (hospitals, schools, etc.), (2) merely useful (weather forecasting service, etc.) and (3) neither strictly necessary nor useful but are helpful toward the spiritual and cultural welfare (museums, etc.).[42] Obviously, public money should be spent in that order: it is first spent on what is absolutely necessary. Only when there is excess money (which is not the case of the Philippines) can public money be spent on the second group. And only when there is still excess money can it be spent on the third group. Or better yet, let that excess money be returned to the poor taxpayers.
     The RH – which will cost P13.7 billion[43] for a “satisfying sex life”[44] – neither enters the first group nor any of the 3 groups. It even harms public morality (just like pornography and prostitution).
     The government has a very tight budget. If it approves the Bill, it should be very transparent and show which medical budget will be affected, which medicines (antibiotics, etc.), which medical expenses (hospital beds, etc.) will not be bought because the money is being re-allocated to the RH. The Filipino nation should be informed completely and thoroughly about the cost of the RH ideology.

c.    Western Imperialism
The RH imperialism was clearly shown in the Manila Summit held in PICC last 15-XI-2012. It was a consequence of the London Summit[45] held last 11-VII-2012. The “conspiracy theory” that Tatad mentions[46] is not a theory but a fact[47]. The conspirators themselves do not hide it! Hillary Clinton has repeatedly said that she is committed to promote reproductive health (which includes abortion).[48]
     It is not only the pro-RH legislators who are lending their services (for free?), but also some media personalities. Eliza Sangalang reported that some known media personalities underwent training in order to sell the RH ideology.[49]

6. Conclusion 
I hope the Philippines will not succumb to the RH ideological pressure as she did not succumb to communism (when so many countries did). President Manual Quezon once said, “I would rather have a Philippines run like hell by Filipinos than a Philippines run like heaven by the Americans”.

My email: dennisjyu@gmail.com. Permission is granted to reproduce this article.
Written on Bonifacio Day 2012

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1 My blog: http://prolifemarcus.blogspot.com.
2 By “Bill”, I refer to the Philippine Senate Bill Number 2865: An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health and Responsible Parenthood [Population and Development] (amended copy as of 19 November 2012). Henceforth, SB 2865.
3 The other version, House Bill 4244, includes the usual façade of population-control-to-eradicate-poverty. It also suggests an ideal family size of two children. See: HB 4244, Sec. 20.
4 See Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 (RA 9262) and The Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710).
5 The World Bank has "Reproductive Health Action Plan" specifically for the Philippines (http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPRH/Resources/376374-1282255445143/Philippines6911web.pdf).
6 See M. REMO, “Global interconnection has dark side, says Lagarde” in Philippine Daily Inquirer, 16-XI-2012 (http://business.inquirer.net/93172/global-interconnection-has-dark-side-says-lagarde).
7 SB 2865, Sec. 4.
8 Ibidem.
9 SB 2865, Sec. 18.
10 J.M. DOLLE, et al., Risk Factors for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Women Under the Age of 45 Years in Cancer, “Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention” 18 (Apr 2009), 1157 (http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/18/4/1157.full.pdf+html).
11 LEE KWAN YEW, Warning Bell for Developed Countries' Declining Birth Rates, “Forbes Magazine”, 7 May 2012 (http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2012/0507/current-events-population-global-declining-birth-rates-lee-kuan-yew.html ).
12 The theoretical fertility replacement rate is 2.1.
13 See http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=sn&v=31 .
14 SB 2865, Sec. 4.
15 See R.K. JONES, K. KOOISTRA, Abortion Incidence and Access to Services in the United States, 2008, “Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health” 43 (2011) 41-50.
16 See G. MARTINEZ, C.E. COPEN, J.C. ABMA, Teenagers in the United States, National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 23(31), 2011, p. 15.
17 SB 2865, Sec. 4.
18 SB 2865, Sec. 13.
19 Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.
20 See G.M. MARTINEZ, A. CHANDRA, J.C. ABMA, J. JONES, W.D. MOSHER, Fertility, contraception, and fatherhood, National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 23(26), 2006, p. 32.
21 SB 2865, Sec. 9.
22 See Instituto Nacional de Estadística ( http://www.ine.es/jaxi/tabla.do ).
23 SB 2865, Sec. 9.
24 SB 2865, Sec. 3.
25 SB 2865, Sec. 2. This alludes to the Philippine Constitution, Art. II, Sec. 12 (http://www.chanrobles.com/philsupremelaw2.html)
26 SB 2865, Sec. 9.
27 Ibidem.
28 Cf. G. LÓPEZ, Aborto y contracepción, EUNSA, Pamplona 2009, 89.
29 SB 2865, Sec. 9.
30 SB 2865, Sec. 3.
31 SB 2865, Sec. 3.
32 Some 4.4 million: see footnote 16.
33 See W.D. MOSHER, J. JONES, Use of contraception in the United States: 1982–2008. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 23(29). 2010, p. 18.
34 See P.Y. GOODWIN, W.D. MOSHER, A. CHANDRA, Marriage and cohabitation in the United States, National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 23(28). 2010, p. 17
35 Cf. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, updated and revised from Families and Work Transition in 12 Countries, 1980–2001, “Monthly Labor Review” September 2003  (http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1335.pdf).
36 Ibidem.
37 Ibidem.
38 Cf. U.S. NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS, National Statistics Health Report, No. 36, “Sexual Behavior, Sexual Attraction, and Sexual Identity in the United States: Data From the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth”, March 2011, Table.
39 CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, National Marriage and Divorce Rate Trends (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/marriage_divorce_tables.htm).
40 D.A. BOSNICH, The Principle of Subsidiarity, “Religion & Liberty” 6 (Jul-Aug 1996) (http://www.acton.org/pub/religion-liberty/volume-6-number-4/principle-subsidiarity).
41 SB 2865, Sec. 4.
42 Cf. M. CROWE, The Moral Obligation of Paying Just Taxes, CUA, Washington 1944, p. 23. CROWE cites J. LUGO, De Iustitia et Iure, Lyons 1670, Disp. XXXVI, sec. 1, n. 1.
43 See M. AGER, DOH proposed nearly P14 billion to fund RH bill in 2012, “Philippine Daily Inquirer” 4-X-2011 (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/70387/%E2%80%98doh-proposed-nearly-p14-billion-to-fund-rh-bill-in-2012%E2%80%99).
44 SB 2865, Sec. 4.
45 See Global Leaders Unite to Provide 120 Million Women in the World's Poorest Countries with Access to Contraceptives By 2020 at http://www.londonfamilyplanningsummit.co.uk/.
46 See F. TATAD, Foreign meddling kill the RH Bill, not save it published in Manila Standard Today, 19-XI-2012 (http://manilastandardtoday.com/2012/11/19/foreign-meddling-will-kill-the-rh-bill-not-save-it/).
47 For more details, see R. CASCIOLI, Il Complotto Demografico, Piemme, 1996.
48 See Clinton Promises Global Push for Abortion Rights, National Review Online, 1-I-2010 at
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/192857/clinton-promises-global-push-abortion-rights/susan-yoshihara#.
49 See E. SANGALANG, Media: Co-opted by the well-oiled RH lobby and PR machinery, 27-VIII-2012 (http://pinoytemplars.blogspot.it/2012/08/media-co-opted-by-well-oiled-rh-lobby.html).

sábado, 25 de agosto de 2012

What Does It Mean To Be A Catholic On The RH Issue?

What Does It Mean To Be A Catholic On The RH Issue?
By Dennis Yu

I hear every now and then statements like “I’m a Catholic but I’m pro-RH”. This has many other variations like “I’m a Catholic congresswoman, not a congresswoman for the Catholic Church”. In the U.S., there are Catholic politicians who are pro-abortion.

These persons are like vegetarians who eat meat. Nobody forces anyone to be a vegetarian. But if one decides to be a vegetarian, he should not eat meat. Otherwise, he better stop being a vegetarian so he may eat meat “freely”. You cannot eat meat and say at the same time that you are a vegetarian. You cannot have your cake and eat it, too.

Nobody forces one to be a Catholic. And even if one is baptized a Catholic, he can always leave the Church. The gate is wide open. Nobody stays in the Church by force. But if one decides to be a Catholic, or decides to stay in the Catholic Church, he should believe and observe everything that the Church teaches on faith and morals.

If you decide to stay in the Catholic Church, you should obey the teachings of the Holy Father, the representative of Christ. The teaching of Pope Paul VI is very clear. “Every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means to render procreation impossible" is intrinsically evil (Humanae Vitae, 14).

This teaching is also infallible (which makes it binding to the Catholics) as reiterated in 1997 by the Pontifical Council on Family (Vademecum for Confessors Concerning Some Aspects of the Morality of Conjugal Life). Karol Wojtyla, before becoming Pope John Paul II, said:

“The teaching of the Encyclical Humanae Vitae regarding the essential principles of an ethical regulation of births is marked by all the characteristics of the infallible ordinary teaching of the Church. This means that one is dealing with a teaching based upon the authority of God and imparted in His name.”

That there are “hard teachings” (like sexual morality) in the Church is no surprise. When her Founder was teaching about the Eucharist, that He is the Bread from heaven, many of those listening to Him said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” And many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. But Jesus, surprisingly, neither invited them back nor softened the truth He was proclaiming. Instead, He turned to the Apostles, and said, “Do you also wish to go away?” (cf. John 6:60-71).

St. Peter replied to Jesus: To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And they stayed with Jesus.

I challenge the Catholics who are in favor of contraception to change their position, to be faithful to the Church’s teachings. I invite them to listen to Jesus: you cannot accept My teachings? Do you also wish to go away?

The choice is yours. (16-VIII-2012)

The Futility of Sex Education (RH)

The Futility of Sex Education (RH)
By Dennis Yu (dennisjyu@gmail.com)

In its present form, the RH Bill will make sex education mandatory for grade school pupils up to high school. I cannot understand the utility of sex education. I wonder what will be its content. Oh yes, I know its content. It will teach the pupils their reproductive “rights”. That’s what they’ve been pushing in the United Nations for quite some time now.

The objective is to have an active and satisfying sexual life; to enjoy without “suffering” its consequences. They will teach the techniques on how not to get pregnant. They will teach, as it has happened in Australia, that as long as there is consent between a Grade 5 boy and a Grade 5 girl, it’s alright to do whatever their instinct tells them. But will pornography be made legal as well? In the U.S., a 12 year old boy was caught watching pornography. Should he be punished if he has been attending classes on sex education? If he is punished, I can see a lack of coherency here. If we stretch a bit the argument, should prostitution still be punished? Maybe prostitution should be legalized. And if the techniques taught in sex education fail, meaning, if the girl gets pregnant, maybe she should be allowed to abort. In Spain, they have been pushing for abortion without parental consent. Meaning, a girl can just go to an abortion clinic without her parents knowing it.

Of course, I am being sarcastic here. I am against sex education, pornography, prostitution and abortion.

The Philippines is now treading a dangerous ground. I have been living in Europe for some years now and I know how things are with sex education. I think that economic progress by curbing the population – the “original objective” of the RH – is asking for a very high price. What is the use of economic progress if the children have been corrupted in the process? Who will benefit from this progress if a girl cannot continue studying in high school because she got pregnant? As the saying goes: “Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo?”

I have granted it as a matter of course that curbing the population growth will bring economic progress. This thesis of the RH is yet to be proven. I’m a financial analyst and I don’t believe in curbing the population growth as a formula for economic progress. I don’t believe that maintaining or reducing the population will bring economic progress. There’s even a statistical study showing that there is no “statistically significant” correlation between population and poverty. Anyway, enough of technicalities.

Going back to the “social costs” of the RH, I argue that sex education is not necessary. It is useless and it will bring worse problems. If it’s designed to reduce unwanted pregnancies, I argue that it will increase unwanted pregnancies. That's easy to prove. There are 100,000 abortions yearly in England. If sex education and if contraception really work, why is there such a high "margin of error"?

Sex is only needed when one gets married. Besides, what’s so difficult with sex? Man has been living on this planet for thousands of years without sex education. They were able to reproduce themselves. Do the dogs need sex education in order to reproduce?

We can see clearly that there is an ideology being imposed on us. That ideology is the “sexual liberation”. It has quite a long history especially in the US. That’s what they are trying to impose through sex education. Sex education is futile. It is nothing but an imposition of the “sexual liberation” ideology of the West. Why such a fuss with sex education when Math and English performance of the students have been declining in the last decade? Could it also be a part of the “Marketing Plan” of the contraceptive companies? (14-VIII-2012)

The 3rd Option: Let The Poor Decide (RH)

The 3rd Option: Let The Poor Decide (RH)
By Dennis Yu (dennisjyu@gmail.com)

In my previous article, I said that since the anti-RH and the pro-RH agree in helping the poor (sincerity is another question, of course), why don’t we give just the P13 billion in cold cash directly to the poor? Let’s leave it up to them to decide on how they’ll spend it. If some wants contraceptives, that’s their choice. If the others want a sack of rice, instead, nobody should stop them. I’m sure 99% of them will buy rice.

At the end of the day, it’s money that talks. If there’s no fund to implement the RH, it’s useless. Well, RH is in itself harmful, so I’d say that it’s better if there are no funds to implement it. It will be a law without a teeth, or perhaps, even without a mouth.

I find P13 billion too high a price to be spent on something where the nation is not exactly happy about. Those who are against the RH are too many to ignore. Besides, their number grows as they become more aware of the real motives behind the RH.

Everybody agrees on livelihood training, on constructing roads and bridges, on providing water irrigation to improve rice harvest. I’d rather spend P13 billion on these projects. But since the pro-RH people insist that the fund be spent on contraceptions, I’d rather have the P13 billion given directly to the poor. The pro-RH say they want to help the poor (some of them are sincere but mistaken, others are completely malicious), they can do so by giving the poor even “more freedom” by letting them decide whether they’ll buy contraceptives or not.

As for the “distribution sites”, let that be a problem of the contraceptive pharmaceuticals. Let them work a bit. We can’t give P13 billion to them without sweating for it. We’re too generous in giving cold cash to them rather than to the poor. There are many ways to help the poor, and giving them a choice to buy or not to buy contraceptives is another way, a better way.

I’ll explain why this is better. In the present configuration of the RH Bill, the poor people who will not avail the “reproductive services” are discriminated. If P100 is budgeted for contraception for 5 poor persons, and only 3 avail of it, the other 2 who did not lost P40. It’s unfair to them. Whereas, if all 5 are given P20 each, those 3 will spend their P60 (or maybe just a part of it) to buy condoms. The other 2 will be happy with their P40 (to buy rice, perhaps?). Everybody’s happy, right? No one is discriminated. The pharmaceuticals are happy as well. Or are they? Perhaps they’d be less happy. Why? Because, in the present configuration of the RH Bill, the government would have bought contraceptives for 5 persons, and not for 3. Less sales for them. As you can see, pera pera lang talaga. I’m a grandson of Chinese immigrants. I know it when money is involved.

I know the disadvantages of dole outs. But if I were to choose between condom and dole out, I will choose dole out.

Let the P13 billion be given directly to the poor. Let them decide how to spend it. (13-VIII-2012)

Conscientious Objection

Conscientious Objection
By Dennis Yu (dennisjyu@gmail.com)

The RH Bill will require the Philippine Government to spend P13 billion for the distribution of contraceptives and other “reproductive health” services.

What will happen if a DOH employee refuses to participate in this “project”? Will he be fired from his work? Will his “conscientious objection” be respected? Can a DOH employee say “no” to this project based on his religious beliefs, or will he be forced to do it?

This is a serious problem. No one should be forced to do something against his conscience and personal beliefs. In Spain, an anti-Catholic country, yes, I’d like to repeat that: an anti-Catholic country, conscientious objection is still respected. There was an attempt last year to oblige the doctors to perform abortion even if it’s against their conscience. Fortunately, that law didn’t pass. Otherwise, that would be the height of totalitarianism. We would be going back to the time of Hitler, Stalin, Lenin and Mao. This and similar anti-life laws were pushed for many years by its Prime Minister, Zapatero, who is a Mason. Fortunately, he lost the elections last year.

Anyway, now that the RH Bill is in the process of amendments, they should include a provision that will guarantee the religious liberty of those who will implement it, specifically, the DOH employees. An employee who is personally against the RH Bill has the right not to participate in the implementation of the RH Bill. This is a question of religious freedom. Of course an employee cannot just say “no” to any job that is given to him. That would justify laziness in its pure form. But if he says “no” to a job that violates his personal belief, he should be respected. He should not be discriminated. He should not be excluded, for example, in Christmas bonus, or job promotion just because he is an objector.

Here in Europe, where euthanasia is legal in some countries, there are many health employees who are forced to cooperate in it. Even if they don’t agree with “mercy-killing”, they are pressured by the hospital administration. They are discriminated. I can see here a unilateral ideological imposition that leaves those who are opposed to it helpless. I can see here an abuse of power, a tyranny.

I remember a case where a Catholic nun was killed in a hospital in the Netherlands. This involved a government employee in favor of euthanasia. On the part of the nun, her congregation, obviously, is against euthanasia. Her sister nuns take turns in accompanying her in the hospital. But there was a moment, just a short one, when the sick nun was left alone in the hospital. The government employee took advantage of this opportunity and administered the poison that killed the sick nun.

A case was filed against the hospital. Lo and behold: the hospital won! The judge said that the sick nun was not in her full mental capacity to reject euthanasia because she was under the strong religious influence of her congregation. Otherwise, she would have consented to euthanasia. Oh really? Absurd!

But is not the hospital under the strong influence of a crazy ideology (euthanasia)? This is where they are bringing the Philippines to in the near future. Save this article. Read it again after 10 years. The Philippine Congress by then will be debating about euthanasia.

Going back to the “conscientious objection”, I don’t want this to happen to the DOH employees. The RH Bill should guarantee this freedom. If the RH Bill is really about “giving choices” (a blatant lie for it does not give me, a taxpayer, any choice!), they should extend that choice to the employees. No one should be forced to act against his conscience. (12-VIII-2012)

The Bible Is Against Contraception (RH)

The Bible Is Against Contraception (RH)
By Dennis Yu (dennisjyu@gmail.com)

I’m writing this article with the Bible-believers in mind. I still don’t know how some of them, I refer mainly to some Protestants groups, are able to justify contraception. The Bible speaks clearly against it.

Probably the most explicit Biblical passage against contraceptive practices can be found in Genesis 38:9-10. It says, “Whenever he had [sexual] relations… he wasted his semen on the ground, to avoid contributing offspring… What he did greatly offended the Lord.”

I can’t find any other way of interpreting this passage other than affirming that contraceptive practices offend God. Contraceptive practices include all types of contraceptions. God, in his wisdom, decided to need the collaboration of man in creating another human being.

God protects the creation of each human being through the institution of marriage. Jesus said: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (cf. Mt 19:6). Such is the protection that God put in place. Why? Because of man’s dignity. Man is created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:27). Even the Psalmist exclaimed that man was created a little less than a god (cf. Ps. 8). And when Jesus came, he made man his brother. That is to say, man is now a child of God (cf. Rom 8:15, Gal 4:6). Such is the dignity of man!

That is why man cannot use his procreative power in any way he wants it. It is such a precious gift. And Jesus went a long way to protect this procreative power. He warned that whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (cf. Mt 5:28). Adultery was both illegal and immoral in Israel, and Jesus now says that with a lustful look, one has already committed adultery.

That is because, if one indulges in lustful activities, one ends up committing many sexual deviations. St. Paul was explicit about these immoralities (cf. Rm 1:24-32). He even said that they not only do them but also approve those who practice them.

One thing is to have a human weakness. Another thing is to approve such weakness. Some would even call a human weakness a virtue and a human right! Jesus was very accommodating to repentant sinners. The woman caught in adultery, repentant of her sin, was pardoned easily (cf. Jn 8:3-12). He said “neither do I condemn you. Go, and do not sin again.” Jesus pardoned the woman because he was offended, otherwise there’s nothing to pardon. He also made clear that she shouldn’t sin again. We have to call sin a sin, vice a vice, and virtue a virtue.

I have been reading the Bible daily for the last 16 years. The Bible’s “sexual morality” is quite clear. I really cannot understand how a Bible-believer can justify contraception. (7-VIII-2012)


The Hidden Agenda In The RH Bill

The Hidden Agenda In The RH Bill
By Dennis Yu (dennisjyu@gmail.com)

Aside from the IPPF, Hillary Clinton (the current U.S. Secretary of State) is also aggressively pushing for a worldwide RH legislation (mainly in the Third World countries). When her husband, Bill Clinton, was the President, he pushed for two things in the Cairo Conference (1994). First, he wanted a universal access to family planning including “safe” abortion. Second, he wanted a global mobilization of resources for population programs.

This, in turn, is coherent with the Memorandum 200. The complete name is National Security Study Memorandum 200: Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for US Security and Overseas Interests. This was written in 1974 and was kept secret until 1980. The report says that the increase of the population of developing countries can endanger the future of the US. At that time, the US population was 6% of the world’s population and yet it consumes 1/3 of the planet’s resources. High birth rate in a (developing) country rich in natural resources is risky for the US’s interests. These countries will become “competitors” of the US. Hence, the strategy is to put a population control to neutralize this danger. There were 13 countries identified where the US has special political and strategic interests: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey, Ethiopia and Columbia. [This paragraph is a summary/translation of Riccardo Cascioli’s book, El Complot Demográfico, p. 103-104.]

The sincerity of Uncle Sam has been questioned many times. In the Iraq War, the “official statement” was to destroy the Weapons of Mass Destruction. Yeah, right! But where are the WMDs? Even Alan Greenspan, the ex-U.S. FED chairman, in his book , The Age of Turbulence, said that the U.S. did it for its interest in Iraq’s oil. Of course, everybody knew it!

Most, if not all, of the “aids” that the U.S. gives to the Philippines have so many “strings attached”. Not only the US but also World Bank and International Monetary Fund attach certain conditions for population control. The foreign debt is crippling the Philippine economy. More than half of the BIR’s inefficient collection of taxes goes to foreign debt servicing. And part of the little money that is left, a whopping P13 billion, the pro-RH legislators want for condoms!

The Cairo Conference’s Program of Action, global population control, has a 20-year plan that will end by 2015. For this end, the United Nations allocated $1.7 billion in 2000 which will increase to $2.05 billion in 2015. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund also pitched in some money to help. (This explains the “population control clause” attached to foreign debts.) More funding is given by individual governments. Just a few weeks ago, the British Government and the Melinda Gates foundation, in a summit held in London, received pledges of $4.6 billion to promote contraceptions.

The IPPF is supported by governments, European Commission and UN Population Fund. They work closely with the World Health Organization, UN Development Program, UNICEF and the OECD (Organization for Economic Development).

I enumerated these institutions so that when you hear them supporting the RH Bill, you shouldn’t be surprised. For example, when the United Nations says that the Philippines need the RH, that’s simply being hypocritical. They project themselves as a “neutral” institution trying to “advise” the Filipinos. But the UN is one of the institutions lobbying strongly for the passage of the RH Bill!

What do we see from all these? I see big guys trying to bully the small guys for their (big guys) own selfish benefit. The RH Bill is part of that worldwide bullying. Magpapa-uto (na naman) ba tayo? (5-VIII-2012)