CBCP to suspend talk with Palace on RH bill

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic bishops will suspend their dialogue with Malacañang on the Reproductive Health (RH) program of the government.

Bishop Nereo Odchimar, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, wrote a letter to President Aquino yesterday informing him of their decision.

“In view, however, of the pastoral letter that the Catholic Bishops issued on the matter last Jan. 31, and considering the speed in the ongoing legislative processes both in the Lower House and in Senate, I deem it prudent to suspend in the meantime further talks with the Executive Department,” read the letter.

Odchimar said the decision to put the dialogue on hold was also based on the ad limina apostolorum of the Filipino bishops to the Vatican.

“Moreover, the next regular meeting of the CBCP Permanent Council, when we can have the opportunity of addressing these developments, will be on the last week of March,” read the letter.

Representatives from the administration and the CBCP are supposed to meet for a third dialogue sometime this month.