According to the Philippine Star, two presidential candidates, Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party (NP) and John Carlos de los Reyes of Ang Kapatiran Party, pledged last Sunday to oppose House Bill 5043, or the Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood, and Population Development Act of 2008 , which would increase the availability of contraceptives and sex education to the public.
Villar, De los Reyes, and a number of senatorial candidates signed the “Covenant for Life” petition of the Catholic Church at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros and promised to block the passage of the RH Bill and any other bills “that will ultimately pave the way for divorce, euthanasia, abortion, tyrannical population control and homosexual unions.”
On the other hand, presidential candidates Richard Gordon, Gilbert Teodoro, and Nicanor Perlas are strong supporters of the RH bill, although not all have clearly expressed their positions on the legislation's key issues. Catholic bishops, in turn, have asked church-goers not to vote for any pro-RH candidates. You can view a list of these candidates by checking out this article on Spot.ph.
While acknowledging the support the "Covenant for Life" has received from the political field, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales made it clear that the Catholic Church was not planning in return to endorse any candidates who signed the agreement—emphasizing, instead, that these political allies were “…really intent on preserving the sacredness, unity, [and] quality of the family.”
(Photos courtesy of Pep.ph)
