THE CATHOLIC Bishops Conference of the Philippines will take legal action against some Department of Health officials for allegedly harassing health workers who refused to implement the population control program, Ligtas Buntis.
In an article by the Manila Standard last month, CBCP legal adviser Jo Imbong said the CBCP is considering suing health officials of Cotabato City, Leyte and Antipolo City.
Imbong said some health workers had complained to CBCP they were harassed by their superiors when they refused to implement the program.
She added that there were complaints against health workers who implemented the program. In Antipolo City, a lactating mother was installed with an intra-uterine device (IUD) without her consent, Imbong said.
Meanwhile, the pro-life group, Subtle Attacks against the Family Explained, convened a signature campaign of couples uninformed of the side-effects of contraception.
The organization gathered around 12,000 signatures from citizens of Antipolo City and Rizal province who oppose House Bill 3773, the proposed law on “Responsible Parenthood and Population Management.”
The signature campaign intends to convince the House of Representatives to junk the bill, which basically controls women’s fertility.
The CBCP said the birth rate in the country is not alarming as the bill claims.
“The Philippines, particularly the city of Manila, is not overpopulated, but rather congested,” organizer Veronica Pineda told the Varsitarian.
Pineda also said the bill would deprive married couples the prerogative to choose the number of children they would like to have. Kris P. Bayos
