Why Stop at the RH Bill?!

For the longest time, I had a notion that human life starts upon fertilization. I guess it is not the case anymore since the debate, contention and opposition against it has never been this strong.

I have always been a sucker for “happily-ever-after” kind of stuff that marriage is supposed to seal and usher in for lovebirds; but I guess I was just too cheesy and idealistic that the reality is that PH is the only remaining country not to have Divorce Law in place.

Life has become too complicated that we need to re-assess, re-evaluate and craft dynamic, progressive and open-minded legislation (and solutions) to guarantee utmost freedom to enjoy the best that life has to offer.

With this, I propose that we become bold enough to make do without boundaries, throw away inhibitions, be damned with constraints and be as free-spirited and free-minded as we can be - enjoy life to the hilt!

1) Since we are on it, let’s declare that life starts upon successful delivery of a newborn. At any point prior to this, it would be the mother’s choice if she wants that lifeless mass to be nipped in the bud. It’s her body, her career, her libido and her life, so make it her choice. We’re pro-choice anyway.

What’s the advantage? - No need for funding for contraceptive and educational materials - keep in mind, our funds are spread too thin already. And tax the Church, their schools’ tuition fees are as outrageous as the parcels of land they own and business interests they hold.

2) Rephrase the marriage vows because they have become too outdated, idealistic and “too unconditional.” Put a Divorce Law in place that would be readily accessible to couples who want to “opt out” once they feel that “it is cramping their style” or if their union has become “something they rather do without” - no questions asked. But make financial support agreements for the sake of any eventual and surviving offspring a requisite - accidents like reproduction can still happen, you know - better to be safe and practical. We are rational beings first and foremost.

3) As an alternative to item 2, we could rather just scrap the concept of marriage as it is! Doing so, no one will be bound to anyone. No need for the divorce bill at all! And the burden we refer to as children will be kept at a minimum because keep in mind, they can be terminated anytime before they get delivered. For the lucky (or unlucky) ones that get delivered at all - financial support agreements are in place so that takes care of it.

4) Given above, no need to keep an intact “family” during these adventurous and free spirited times. Family is too boring, and it keeps us from achieving our goals, especially in our careers. And children grow old anyway whether a family is intact or not, so what’s the difference? Why bother? No more husbands, no more wives - everyone’s fair game. How exciting can that be?!

5) Outlaw religion. A lot of free thinking sectors cannot fathom how in this day and age there are still those who “keep the faith” and recognize that God exists. God and religion is too foolish because it runs contrary to man’s natural tendencies. It robs man of life’s pleasures! Laws should govern man, not God, not faith, not beliefs. Go worship Hayden Kho or Steve Jobs instead.

Man is first and foremost, an animal. Let us not fight our nature, but instead live on our instincts and desires. No to children messing up our lives and draining our resources, no to married life, no to family life, no to spiritual life.

Man is an animal; so let’s make this so-called society of ours what befits of animals - a jungle.

The Day Bishop Skipped Papaya… And Its Impact On The RH Bill

I haven’t really signed off 100% on the RH Bill in its present form since I am still seeking some clarifications on certain details of the bill, particularly its penal ramifications. But going through my daily route in Pasig and Mandaluyong areas teeming with informal settlers, seeing the sea of idle humanity converge on what seems to be public roads doubling as playgrounds, I am actually leaning towards supporting the bill. Support at least for its wisdom and intention to educate and foster responsible parenthood.

But what I don’t subscribe to is some RH bill proponents attacking anti RH bill sectors particularly the Roman Catholic Church, not really based on the merits of a sound argument (i.e. scientific facts, statistics, etc.), but rather on trivial issues. They push for the RH bill by citing instances of bishops and priests fathering children left and right, cases of child molestation and homosexual encounters, taking money from gambling, etc. Glossing on the apparent unholiness of certain individuals belonging to the holy orders, using it to discredit the institution as a whole, and ultimately making a push for the RH bill is not an argument at all.

What does Bishop Yalung’s having a child (or children?) have to do in underscoring the positive points and fortifying arguments for the RH bill?!

Any institution, be it the state, the Church, your school, your fraternity, or whatever, will have its bad eggs once in a while. Giving credit where credit is due, these anti RH bill sectors, including and most especially the Roman Catholic Church, have done their fair share in nation building. Their schools (albeit at an exhorbitant cost) educate and instill / reinforce values that seem to be so hard to pound on to children given the present internet generation. They run orphanages to shelter neglected children (neglected even by the state’s DSWD), not a few perhaps conceived unplanned due to defective condoms, missed pills, etc. Priests and nuns were at the frontline of EDSA 1986. They keep vigil when necessary in guarding our ballots. Should Article II, Section 6 also been chorused during these times?

It shapes and sends out mission volunteers to far flung areas to do socio-civic and religious works. Mission volunteers like Richie Fernando, SJ who got himself killed in Cambodia back in 1996 at the age of 26 because some whacko decided to throw a grenade to a school full of handicapped children. He instictively jumped onto the grenade just before it went off, effectively using his body to shield the handicapped children from the deadly blast. People like Richie comprise and live by the ideals of the Church that I belong to. And this Church is not as one dimensional, closed minded, selfish and evil as practically everyone fully supporting the RH bill, more prominently the nation’s favorite tour guide now, perceive and paint it to be. The Church is NOT the Pope, Cardinals and Bishops alone!

Let me be clear with you on this, I will be with you when you grill the Church heirarchy as to why it continues to sweep its mess under the rug, keeping skeletons in its closet, to the tune of millions of dollars in parishioner contributions (when for one, it could have been used to fund scholars to go through their education), then coming right back at you, high and mighty, with threats of excommunication.

But to sell the RH bill on the strength alone of Bishop Bacani having sexually harassed his secretary is like declaring Lebron James is a better baller than Kobe Bryant simply because the latter is a rapist.

Let’s stick to the relevant facts, stats and figures like maternal deaths comprising 11% of all deaths in women aged 15 - 49, 33% of births in the country being unplanned, the definition of conception, abortifacients, etc. Let our resolution of issues pertaining to national interest not be be guided by how Lolit Solis, Cristy Fermin, Showbiz News Ngayon, etc. go about whetting Inday’s appetite for the latest chismis. (This is why I am against these types of TV shows because they insult the gullible population’s intelligence rather allow it to be put to good use.)

PNoy was already catapulted to the presidency mainly because the demise of his mom couldn’t have come at a more opportune time; isn’t it about time we, as a nation, act and argue rationally? More rational than Bishop Odchimar irresponsibly brandishing excommunication as a proximate possibility or Carlos Celdran dressing up as Rizal, and with a Damaso placard to boot.

It’s the least we could do as we project our population to reach 94.3 million by the year’s end, 141 million come 2040, and with no definite and sustainable program as to how we are going to harness this ballooning population to make it the nation’s foremost asset instead of it being its most burdensome liability.

Let those papaya-skipping priests deal with paternity and penitentiary accordingly - with or without the RH bill.