Deceptive and defiant

For the nth time let us leave the Supreme Court (SC) alone in deciding the constitutionality of the RH law. This appeal has to be repeated because the backers of the said law do not stop in coming out with press releases urging the SC to immediately uphold its validity. At this time when the SC has already fixed a date when it will deliberate and resolve the 15 petitions filed questioning its validity, it is really pointless to still come out with those press releases. Such posturing only undermines the administration of justice and even pictures our highest court as being susceptible to pressure. And this ugly image of the SC will be confirmed especially if it “gives in” to such pressure by eventually ruling in favor of the law’s constitutionality despite its numerous constitutional infirmities. 

The appeal in this regard becomes even more imperative when the country’s “top business groups” recently came out with a statement urging the immediate implementation of the law even if the SC has not yet decided on its constitutionality and has in fact issued an order stopping its implementation. The most disturbing aspect here is that no less than the President of the country, P-Noy himself was also reported to have announced that the RH law is now being implemented! This is really in defiance of and a direct insult to the SC — a mockery of the justice system in our country. It is a complete disregard of the basic principles on which our democratic system of government is founded.

The joint statement of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines, Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry is more appalling and perturbing because of the apparent deceptions and subterfuges contained therein. Coming from the business leaders of our country who are supposed to be more straightforward and sincere than our politicians, such a statement is indeed quite unexpected.

First of all, they say that this “health measure….reflects the true will of the people and is an illustration that democracy prevails in our nation.” It is however well known and widely reported that this measure was passed because of the tremendous pressure from Malacanang who even sent four Cabinet members to Congress (Roxas, Abad, Lacierda and Carandang) during the final showdown on the bill. And as later on further exposed, the illegal PDAF or pork was even used to “convince” members of Congress to pass it. So this health measure actually reflects P-Noy’s wish to accommodate Obama’s global initiative to control our population by reducing pregnancies through contraceptives. It does not reflect the true will of the people. And as also repeatedly pointed out before, it is not a health measure at all because it exposes women and children to various diseases including cancer, if they will be allowed to use the artificial methods of birth control funded by the said law.

Secondly, the business groups said that “they were opposed to abortion and to any measure limiting free choice.” In fact they believed that “the law protects and enhances the peoples’ constitutionally enshrined rights to life and good health, freedom of choice and a living wage and income.” Yet this law allocates P14 billion to guarantee free access to a full range of “medically safe, legal, affordable health care services, methods, supplies and devices including artificial contraceptives such as birth control pills. While the law says that these birth control methods, devices and supplies particularly the pills are “medically safe,” it has already been medically proven that these pills and contraceptives cause abortion because they prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum or a conceived child into the mother’s womb. This is a fact established not only by medical science but by actual happenings in other countries especially the US, the origin of artificial contraception. In the US, 500 million babies are aborted every year since all sorts of contraceptives were introduced. And this is explained by no less than the US Supreme Court, in the case of Planned Parenthood vs. Casey where it categorically declared that “abortion is of the same character as the decision to use contraception because contraception may fail and if it fails abortion is resorted to because of unwanted pregnancies.”

Hence, contrary to the claim of these business groups, this RH law violates Article II Section 12 of the Constitution which mandates the State to protect the life of the mother and of the unborn from conception. Moreover, this law is in effect sanctioning a violation of Articles 256-259 penalizing the killing of the innocent, unborn baby in the mother’s womb. By supporting and asking for the immediate implementation of the RH law, these business groups are therefore, not actually against abortion. They may be in favor of women’s freedom of choice, but this is the freedom to resort to abortion which is punished by law. These are exactly the opposite of their public statement.

Thirdly, the groups’ statement that the RH law is necessary for the country “to achieve inclusive economic growth… and to promote the “right to a living wage and income,” is also quite deceptive and misleading. The RH law is not an economic measure at all. It does not set forth any economic policy. It is mainly for the purpose of introducing and subsidizing the use of artificial contraceptives in this country for purposes of controlling our population allegedly to alleviate poverty which, as previously shown is also an erroneous proposition.

If these business groups are really out to promote inclusive economic growth, they should support measures that will achieve a more equitable distribution of wealth in this country. In fact they can promote the right to a living wage and income even without the RH law simply increasing the salaries and wages of their employees and reducing their profits.

So to our business leaders, please remember that you can not fool all the people all the time.

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