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Manila Bulletin devider devider Duterte hits Church's 'creeping influence' on family planning

Duterte hits Church's 'creeping influence' on family planning

Published Jul 4, 2018 06:20 pm
By Argyll Cyrus Geducos President Duterte hit the seemingly heavy influence of the Church on the government's decision on what can be good for the people, particularly on modern family planning. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte makes an inquiry to Sec. Bong Go of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President while delivering his speech during the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected barangay chairpersons in the Zamboanga Peninsula held at the Municipal Gymnasium in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur on June 26, 2018. SIMEON CELI JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (SIMEON CELI JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO) Duterte made the statement almost a week after he said that he will keep his silence amid his rift with the Catholic Church following his scathing remark against God. In his speech in Quezon City, Duterte cited how a family planning program cannot be fully implemented due to the opposition of "some religions." "We have breached the 100-million mark (population). It’s now 105 or 10 depending on your statistics. Eh saan ito pupunta (Where would all this people go)?" he said Wednesday. "Yesterday (sic) I read somebody said that we have to implement the family planning. Alam mo sa totoo lang (You know, the fact is), the family planning, with due respect, ayaw ko makipag-away (I do not want to quarrel), it has something to do with the objection of religions, not all," he added. "I would not mention the faith because again I would not want to quarrel with them. Wala ka man makuha dito sa mga g

* ‘to puro salita lang (You cannot get something out of those idiots because they only keep on talking)," he continued. Duterte also recalled the time when he was still Davao City mayor and he found it hard to distribute contraceptives. He said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III used to donate at least P500,000 for contraceptives that are being handed over to those who need them in Davao City. "Ang top donor si Sonny Dominguez. 'Yan top donor ko (Sonny Dominguez was my top donor). But he believes in it. He believe in it so he contributes," he said. "Kasi at that time, it was hard to get ‘yung---kung bakit naputol (the---it was cut). It’s because of the influence dito sa taas (up there)," he added. "And that is why one of my reasons why I do not like itong (this)---the creeping influence of faith is that they sometimes run counter to what government believes to be good for the people. At least in this temporal life, okay na ‘yan sa (that would be fine in) heaven," he continued. Meanwhile, Duterte again questioned the principle of heaven and hell and said that he would resign if someone tells him that they have witnessed both unearthly sides. "Kung may makasabi niyan dito mag-resign ako Presidente bukas (If someone tells me that I will resign as President tomorrow). Immediately," he said. In January last year, Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) no. 12 which provides funds and support for modern family planning to make it available to the poor. "This Order aims to intensify and accelerate the implementation of critical actions necessary to attain and sustain 'zero unmet need for modern family planning' for all poor households by 2018," the EO read. Based on the four-page document, local governments are tasked to do a comprehensive review of couples and individuals in need of family planning services. In July last year, Duterte said that while he is pro-birth control, he is against abortion. "I am not for abortion, I am not for birth control, but certainly I am for the giving of the freedom to the Filipino family to decide how many children they are able to support to go to school," Duterte said.
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