MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 29, 2012) – President Benigno Aquino has signed the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10354) which the Catholic Church is strongly opposing, but many Filipinos welcome the new law that promotes contraception.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said Aquino signed the new law on December 21 and it will take effect 15 days after its publication in at least two newspapers.
“The passage into law of the Responsible Parenthood Act closes a highly divisive chapter of our history—a chapter borne of the convictions of those who argued for, or against this Act, whether in the legislative branch or in civil society. At the same time, it opens the possibility of cooperation and reconciliation among different sectors in society: engagement and dialogue characterized not by animosity, but by our collective desire to better the welfare of the Filipino people,” she said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
“This is the mark of a true democracy: one in which debate that spans all levels of society is spurred by deeply-held beliefs and values, enriching and elevating public discourse, as we all work together to find ways to improve the lives of our fellow citizens,” she said.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said the new law will put the moral fiber of the nation at risk. “As we your bishops have said in the past, a contraceptive mentality is the mother of an abortion mentality. The wide and free accessibility of contraceptives, even to the youth, will result in the destruction of family life and in greater violence against women,” it said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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