7 out of 10 Pinoys favor RH Law – SWS survey
Pro-RH bill group rally in Baguio. Members of a group supporting the Reproductive Health law gather in Baguio City on Monday, April 7, to show their support for the measure. The Supreme Court, which is holding its summer session in Baguio City, is expected to rule on the issue on Tuesday. Carmelo Dizon
The survey was commissioned by pro-RH group The Forum for Family Planning and Development. The result was released to the media on Monday, a day before the Supreme Court en banc is expected to decide on the fate of the RH Law.
Although 68 percent of the respondents were aware of the RH Law (the remaining 32 percent learned about the law during the survey itself), the SWS survey noted that 72 percent are in favor of the controversial measure.
The 84 percent of the survey respondents agree that "the government should provide free supply or service to the poor who wish to use any family planning method."
Likewise, 77 percent agree that "the RH Law follows what the Constitution should stand for, so it s only proper for the Supreme Court to allow it."
The SWS survey was conducted last March 27 to 30 with 1,200 respondents scattered nationwide. The survey has a three percent error margin.
After years of acrimonious debate that divided a religiously devout nation, the landmark RH Law was signed into law in December 2012. But the Supreme Court stopped its implementation for 120 days in March 2013. Subsequently, the high court extended its ruling to stall the law's implementation.
God, our loving Father,
Creator and lover of all life,
You fashioned in your own image and likeness every human person.
Give us the strength and courage
to defend and protect human life from conception to natural death.
We pray for your divine healing, comfort and peace
for all affected by past abortions.
Help us serve actively in alleviating the sufferings and troubles
of all women with pregnancy problems.
We pray that all our leaders and legislators
may be guided by the grace of the Holy Spirit
to act responsibly on this critical present issue.
Mary, our loving Mother, to you we entrust the cause of life.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
Saint Rosa of Lima, pray for us.
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us.
Source: CBCP For Life
Before the SC ruling on the controversial measure, both pro- and anti-RH groups engaged online and offline campaigns.
Akbayan Party-list, a pro-RH group, said it will hold a road trip to Baguio City called "Rolling Hot for RH Law" on Tuesday to join groups that are calling on the high court to uphold the law.
The Supreme Court is holding its summer sessions in Baguio City.
"Ang kabataan ay sumasama sa laban na ito. Hindi ka pupunta roon para lang magpalamig kung 'di para mapainit ang laban sa RH Law," Akbayan youth representative Rafaela "Paeng" David said in a press conference on Monday.
The group also took its action online by promoting hashtags like #Yes2RH and #SelfieForRH.
For his part, Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez is optimistic that the Supreme Court will rule in their favor.
"We expect the Supreme Court to uphold the law to end the long wait for the law's implementation," he said during the same press conference.
"Hopefully, this would be the final hurdle," he added.
Asked what would be their remedy if the high court ruled against them, he said: "A motion for reconsideration is the obvious remedy or back to the drawing board in Congress."
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, meanwhile, is bent on continuing to "teach the value of life" if the SC upholds the RH Law.
"You should just explore all legal options. But even if RH Law, which is theoretical, if with or without the SC's decision, it is
"You should just explore all legal options. But even if RH law, which is theoretical, if with or without the SC's decision, it is the duty of the Church to be teaching life. Our duty does not depend on civil laws. Our duties come from God...," said CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas in an interview.
"We must keep on teaching the sacredness of life, about the dignity of the human person about the holiness of life of the human person from conception until death it does not depend on any law," Villegas said.
The archbishop reiterated that he believes the RH Law is "morally wrong."
"Maybe they have the numbers, but that does not mean that they are right because right cannot be determined by numbers. Right is always right and wrong is always wrong... Maybe for the moment because of the numbers available in the Senate and the Congress, they had approved it as law. It remains to be morally wrong," he said.
Even before April, the CBCP has been tapping mobile and Facebook to oppose the controversial measure.
CBCP sent text messages to Catholics late last month seeking their prayers for the defeat of the measure.
Meanwhile, CBCP Commission on Family and Life executive secretary Fr. Melvin Castro posted a copy of the Mandatory Prayer for the Protection of the Family and All Human Life (see sidebar), which aims to have the RH Law declared as unconstitutional.
A prayer vigil and ringing of bells were also scheduled before and during the Supreme Court's deliberations. – KG/HS, GMA News
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