MANILA, Philippines — President Aquino and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao faced off Friday over the reproductive health bill during the boxing champion’s courtesy call in Malacañang.
The President met Filipino boxing champion Pacquiao in the Palace with both of them talking not just about boxing but defending their contrasting positions on responsible parenthood.
The hour-long face-off between the President, a supporter of freedom of choice, and Pacquiao, the Catholic Church’s poster boy in the campaign against the RH bill in Congress, ended in an agreement that they are opposed to abortion, according to Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte.
Valte, in a Palace press briefing, said the President first congratulated Pacquiao on his victory against Shane Mosley and later explained his five-point position on responsible parenthood to the visiting lawmaker.
She said the President also shared with the visiting congressman about the sad plight of a 16-year-old girl who had just given birth to her second child during his visit in a poor Baseco compound in Tondo, Manila. Aquino had earlier said such tragedy is among the reasons the country needs legislation on responsible parenthood.
After hearing the President’s position, Valte said Pacquiao voiced his concerns against the reproductive health measure, including the parents’ prerogative to prevent their children to learn sex education in schools.Asked about Pacquiao’s reaction to the President’s position on RH measure, Valte said it was “clear” in the meeting that the Sarangani lawmaker understood the President’s five-point position on responsible parenthood.
“The President reiterated that we do not favor one (family planning) method over the other as there is no mandatory provision in responsible parenthood,” she said. “Of course, they were in agreement that there should be no abortion. It is very clear that the President and Congressman Pacquiao are both against abortion
,” she added.
,” she added.The President’s five-point position on responsible parenthood involves opposition to abortion, informed choice on couples on how to raise their families, respect for a person’s conscience and religious convictions on family, responsibility of the State to help poor and disadvantaged couples if they are in no position to make an informed judgment, and equal availability of natural family planning and modern methods.
From RH discussions, Valte said the President and Pacquiao tackled the lawmaker’s concerns on universal health insurance coverage, cash subsidy for the poor, among others. “Congressman Pacquiao is very interested in knowing about these programs, on how many of his constituents can avail themselves of these programs,” Valte said.
Before the meeting ended, Pacquiao gave the President the pair of yellow boxing gloves he used in his fight against Mosley, DVD copies of the fight, a “Pacman” souvenir gray hood jacket and yellow T-shirt.
As a token for his new victory and another honor for the country, the President presented Pacquiao his coffee table book “The Inaugural: The Inside Story of the Aquino Presidency” and a decorative box.
Source: mb.com.ph
