CBCP exec calls for a stop to RH surveys

After a recent survey showed that nearly seven out of 10 Filipinos favored the reproductive health (RH) bill, a Catholic Church official called for a stop to such surveys. Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Family and Life said the surveys may influence the decisions of lawmakers who are debating on the bill. “We are appealing to them (survey firms) not to be used to mindset legislators that majority of the people is for the bill… so that it will not cause undue influence to our legislators," he said in an article posted on the CBCP news site on Thursday. Pulse Asia survey Earlier this week, Pulse Asia released results of a survey showing 69 percent of 1,200 respondents agree with the RH bill. Only seven percent of respondents disagreed with the RH bill while 24 percent were undecided. The survey fieldwork was conducted from October 20 to 29, 2010 using face-to-face interviews. The nationwide survey is based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. Mind-conditioning Castro claimed the surveys are being conducted as a mind-conditioning strategy of those behind the controversial measure. “It is our impression now that they are trying to influence our legislators," he said. He also questioned the manner by which the survey was done by the polling firm. “The question is: Did the questions tackle the bill’s provisions? Or was it a general question on whether they support it or not? It would be good to ask if the people they surveyed have already read the bill or not," he said. Pope encourages bishops to fight birth control On Monday (Vatican time), the Pope Benedict XVI hailed the members of the CBCP for its strong prolife stance. “I commend the Church in the Philippines for seeking to play its part in support of human life from conception until natural death," said the Pope in his message to bishops who are in the Vatican for their ad limina visit. The first batch of bishops was composed of prelates coming from 30 pastoral jurisdictions in Metro Manila, and Central and Northern Luzon. They will be in the Vatican from November 25 to December 6. The head of the CBCP said the pope’s statement has encouraged the bishops to continue fighting against the RH bill. Bishop Nereo Odchimar, CBCP President, said “We are greatly encouraged by the words of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, on the undertakings of the Church in the Philippines." “Pope Benedict’s message to the first group of Philippine bishops affirms the CBCP’s staunch resolve to preach and stand up for the Gospel of life in season and out of season," he added. RH bill 96 In previous Philippine congresses, several versions of the RH bill have been filed. In the present Congress, Minority Leader Edcel Lagman of Albay is the main proponent of the RH bill is known as "Bill 96." The bill is based on the premise that the country's population growth impedes economic development. The bill seeks to “guarantee to universal access to medically-safe, legal, affordable and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices, supplies and relevant information." The bill also seeks a “consistent and coherent national population policy," citing studies that show that "rapid population growth exacerbates poverty while poverty spawns rapid population growth." Contentious issue The RH bill has been a contentious issue in the country because it pits two powerful sectors against each other: prolife groups (such as Catholic and Muslim groups opposing the RH bill) and prochoice groups (led by non-government organizations supporting the RH bill). It is estimated that 80 percent of the country's population are baptized Catholics. According to the National Statistics Office, there were 88.57 million Filipinos as of August 2007. The projected population for 2010 is 94.01 million. The Catholic Church promotes only natural family planning and is opposed to the use of artificial birth control methods such as condoms and birth-control pills, saying these could lead to promiscuity and a rise in abortion cases. However, RH advocates say natural family planning methods have not proven to be as reliable as artificial means of birth control. The Catholic Church accepts only natural family planning (NFP) methods. The NFP has two distinct forms: