Church, lawmakers to meet regularly on life, family bills

Catholic bishops and lawmakers have formed a Bishops’-Legislators’ Caucus of the Philippines (BLCP) to hold regular meetings to assess pending bills that may have an impact on life and family. Ranking legislators representing both houses of Congress met this week with officials of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to open what they called a "new avenue for collaboration." "The caucus agreed to meet once every two months to assess pending bills in Congress on life and family," the CBCP said in a statement posted on its website (www.cbcpnews.com) Wednesday night. Attending the initial meeting were CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. and Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. Likewise present were the chairmen of the CBCP's 10 Episcopal Commissions, eight senators and 20 members of the Lower House. “We open a great avenue for collaboration and dialogue between our bishops on the one hand and our legislators on the other, in the service of the common good," said Rep. Eduardo Zialcita, chairman of the Lower House's Pro-Life Caucus. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., chairman of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus, added that life and family values are enshrined and clearly acknowledged in the Philippine Constitution, "which is pro-life and pro-people and which specifically respects the right of spouses to found their families according to their religious convictions." Others present in the launch were: Archbishops Paciano Aniceto, Ramon Arguelles; Bishops Gabriel Reyes, Emilio Marquez, Deogracias Iñiguez, Leonardo Medroso, Jose Oliveros, Jesse Mercado, Gilbert Garcera; and Msgr. Juanito Figura; Senators Manuel Roxas II, Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Loren Legarda, Richard Gordon, Juan Miguel Zubiri; and Reps. Hermilando Mandanas, Roilo Golez, Bienvenido Abante, Carmencita Reyes, Joseph Emilio Abaya, Raul del Mar, Rene Velarde, Carissa Coscolluela, Irwin Tieng, Liwayway Chatto, and Rufus Rodriguez. - GMANews.TV