FORMER Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Orlando Quevedo, Archbishop of Cotabato has called the Republic Act 10354 (Reproductive Health Act of 2012) “the worst Christmas gift our leaders can give to the people.”

President Benigno Aquino 3rd signed the RH bill into law earlier this week.

What is known as Republic Act 10354 (Reproductive Health Act of 2012) was passed by both the House and the Senate, and swiftly ratified by the bicameral conference of the two houses. Passage quickly transpired after the President used his persuasive powers, including, it was reported, his power to withhold pork barrel funds.

The SunsStar reported on Saturday that “in a brief statement, CBCP–Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) Executive Secretary Fr. Melvin Castro said it is lamentable” how the government that vowed to observe “transparency in governance has kept the signing a secret.”

The report quotes Dr. Castro saying, “That the RH bill was signed into law in the cover of darkness and secrecy, only the President knows why” and “If such signing did not merit media and public attention, it only goes to show that such a law is not meritorious at all.”

Fr. Castro and other CBCP figures have vowed not to stop the fight against the RHB law, which promotes “the Culture of Death” by funding the free use of abortifacient medicines, pills and devices.

The CBCP together with groups of Roman Catholic pro-life organizations have been the most active opponents of RH, which they say is a misnomer for a population control law.

On Friday, December 28—which Catholics commemorated as the Feast of the Holy Innocents (the two-year-old and younger children murdered by Herod’s troops seeking to kill Jesus)—the pro-life groups launched the nationwide Million Red Ribbons for Life Movement.

The campaign aims to keep the majority of Filipinos remain pro-life and unwilling to go along with the pro-abortifacient pro-contraceptive intent of the RH law.

An ABS-CBN News report by Lalaine Bolongon and Lore Mae Andong of ABS-CBN News Central Mindanao, said that a former CBCP president, the Cotabato City Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, saddened by the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill and its enactment, said the law is the worst Christmas gift our leaders can give the people.”

“Christmas is a celebration of human life that comes from God, the one who conceived was a teenager and she brought to life into the world [the Baby Jesus) by the Holy Spirit of Christmas. Therefore, it is a celebration of human life that comes from God, it comes with the cooperation of a teenager and God. Kaya (That’s why) the RH law is s the worst Christmas gift,” Archbishop Quevedo stressed.

The report also quoted Quevedo saying that the Catholic Church will continue to fight, seeking the Supreme Court’s help.

“It will be a legal action but also it will be a prayerful action. Prayers are needed for this,” he said.

The ABS-CBN report also quoted Moro Islamic Liberation Front 1st vice chairman Ghadzali Jaafar, who “also expressed his strong opposition to the RH [law].”

“Jaafar said the lawmakers’ move to push through with family planning methods is good, but the usage of contraceptive is prohibited in Islam.

The story by Lalaine Bolongon and Lore Mae Andong of ABS-CBN gave these pro-life words by Jaafar:

“Kahit sino mang tao, ipinagbabawal talaga ang pumatay ng inosente kasi ‘yang fetus kapag nasa sinapupunan na ng ina, tao na ‘yan, may buhay na ‘yan. Family planning hindi bawal sa Islam. But generally ang taong ipinanganak sa mundo may budget na ‘yan kay Allah. Every [normal] person knows that it is forbidden to kill the innocent, [who in this case] is the innocent fetus, because the fetus in the womb of the mother is a human life. Islam does not forbid family planning. But generally every human being already has a budget from Allah.]”
Pro-life people believe—as respected social scientists do—that implementing the contraceptive intentions and processes prescribed by Republic Act 10354 (Reproductive Health Act of 2012) will lead to the Philippines being beset by the breakdown of moral and social values.

They also believe it will also destroy the family and the authority of parents over their children. It will bring to the Philippines what the USA, Europe, Japan, Singapore are suffering from: The “demographic winter” and the empty cradle syndrome.