The Philippine Online Chronicles

Two presidential aspirants have expressed their disapproval of the long-standing Reproductive Health (RH) bill that seeks to promote a national family planning program that includes use of birth control methods.

Once supportive of the bill with his wife Tarlac Rep. Nikki Prieto-Teodoro, Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr. on Tuesday sat with members of Blogwatch.ph and discussed his reasons for the withdrawal.

“We know that the RH bill will not pass,” he said in reference to the pursuance of the bill that may not yield the solution to the swelling problem of population in the country.

Teodoro argued that the debates over whether the RH bill is the proper solution has surpassed the real problem with the population.

“The problem continues to fester unattended, because clearly the debate is merely centered as to whether or not the government should substitute itself for our moral guardians in what is essentially a personal choice.”

Ang Kapatiran standard-bearer John Carlos “JC” delos Reyes also believes that the government should not replace the parents as moral guides when it comes to reproductive education and choices. He referred to the bill as anti-poor, and instead focus on human resource development and natural resources management.

Delos Reyes' party is founded, he said, in the aim to provide Filipinos who are fed up with traditional politics to have an alternative.

In the Kapatiran's official website, they stated that “terminologies used such as reproductive health, reproductive rights, gender awareness, family planning, birth control, planned parenthood, etc., are euphemisms cloaked under coercive programs by interest groups to manipulate behavior by limiting our choices and desensitizing our values.”

Teodoro further explained that population management problem directs to a principal point of lack of risk-free areas where habitable communities can be established. He insisted that too much debate does not solve the problem itself.

“The government's role must be to support any moral choice made by a couple freely, because morality in this country differs too. Must actively support and not influence the choice.”

Teodoro and Delos Reyes agree in having the family as the foremost source of education for the preservation of life.

Blogwatch.ph, a joint initiative of bloggers to cover underplayed current events through new media, met with presidential aspirants to dig deep into their platforms and goals for the May 2010 polls.

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