What's wrong with HB 3773? A LOT!!! (New Online Petitions added!)

[mannyamador]

---

more cretinous are those people who only see one side of the report;

Still cretinously missing the point, eh? Whetrher you take the low or high variant, the bottom line is that there is a TOTAL FAILURE to establish a causal link between national poverty/environmental degradation with high population density. History shows that the real causes are more likely bad governance and injustice. The studies and reports have been posted on this thread, but apparently you don't have the intellectual capacity to understand (or maybe even read) them.

And in case you forgot, the definition of term "overpopulation" involves such a causal link:

(http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionar...tion&x=15&y=15)

Main Entry: over·pop·u·la·tion
Pronunciation: "O-v&r-"pä-py&-'lA-sh&n
Function: noun
: the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration,
an impaired quality of life, or a population crash


Go back to nursery rhymes.

The bottomline is that you haven't been able to present a shred of evidence that actually proves that the world is overpopulated.

[mannyamador]

Looks like the French MAY be learniong from their mistakes. But not if the population control fanatics have their way!

France Offers Money to Third-Time Parents
Thu Sep 22,11:08 AM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050922/...E0BHNlYwN0bWE-

France announced financial incentives Thursday for parents to have a third child, hoping
to boost its fertility rate by helping people to better juggle the demands of work and family life.

A new measure will award $916 a month to parents who take one year's unpaid leave from
work after the birth of a third child, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin announced at the
close of a national conference on families.

It will take effect in July 2006. De Villepin said he believed the measure will appeal to "numerous
parents" and allow for a "better reconciliation of professional and family rhythms."

"We must do more to allow French families to have as many children as they want," the prime
minister said.

France's fertility rate, at an average of 1.9 children per woman, is the second highest in Europe
after Ireland's, around 2. But it is still below the 2.07 level needed to prevent population decline.

The European Union average is around 1.5, dropping to less than 1.3 in some countries, including
Greece, Spain, Italy and the new EU member nations in Eastern Europe where fertility rates
dropped precipitously after the collapse of communism. Some experts fear that the decline in
fertility rates across the continent could have far-reaching economic and social consequences.

[mannyamador]

By the way, the consistent idiocy of the UNFPA has been noted before in an article posted earlier. Here's an excerpt.

From: Does More Population Mean More Poverty in a Nation?
By Bishop Cesare Bonivento
http://pop.org/main.cfm?id=94&r1=1.0...evel=2&eid=781

Demographers' Warnings

I quote only some of the most recent warnings coming from the demographers
and the scientific world.

On September 27, 2004, Michael Meyer wrote in Newsweek International an
article entitled *Birth Rate.* He said: *Everyone knows there are too many
people in the world. Just last week the United Nations warned that many of
the world's cities are becoming hopelessly overcrowded.... Yet this is not
the full story. To the contrary, in fact. Across the globe, people are
having fewer and fewer children. Fertility rates have dropped by half
since 1972, from six children per woman to 2.9. And demographers say
they're still falling, faster than ever. The world's population will
continue to grow-from today's 6.4 billion to around 9 billion in 2050. But
after that, it will go sharply into decline. Indeed, a phenomenon that we
are destined to learn much more about-depopulation-has already begun in a
number of countries.*

On February 28, 2003, we had a warning issued by the UN about
below-replacement fertility levels. For the first time, the United Nations
Population Division foresaw that future fertility levels in most
developing countries will likely fall below 2.1 children per woman, the
level needed to ensure the long-term replacement of the population. By
2050, the UN document says, *three out of every four countries in the less
developed regions will be experiencing below-replacement fertility, with
all developed countries far below replacement level as well.*

Populations will decline in 33 countries by 2050, according to the report,
with countries such as Italy projected to be 22% smaller and the Russian
Federation nearly 50% smaller.

The deeper reductions in fertility will have as a consequence a faster
aging of the population of developing countries, and this aging will
stress social security systems. Globally, the number of older persons (60
years or over) will nearly triple, increasing from 606 million in 2000 to
nearly 1.9 billion by 2050.

Another Warning

Another warning came from the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) on August
19, 2004 saying the United States will grow, the rest of the world will
shrink.

The PRB claims that almost all of the more developed world will face
serious and sustained population decline over the next five decades except
for the United States, where an above-replacement fertility rate and
immigration will account for continued population growth.

However there is a UN agency which disagrees with all these predictions:
It is the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund). In 2004, it issued a
report that predicts that the world's population will increase by almost
40% by 2050, to 8.9 billion inhabitants. So far nothing new. It is the
interpretation of those figures which distances UNFPA from so many others.

In fact UNFPA says that such a demographic increase is an obstacle for
development and for the environment, without saying that after that there
will be a dangerous decline that will have disastrous consequences.

Why such an evidently contradictory evaluation? Because the warnings of
the other UN agencies and of the demographers are jeopardizing UNFPA's
effort to curb the population with any means, including legal abortion.
UNFPA is the agency supporting the Chinese one-child policy, which
includes forced abortion for women having a second child.

Unfortunately we have to add that UNFPA is deeply influencing our
educational curriculum in PNG. If we are not on the alert and if we do not
counteract this influence, our children will gravely suffer for a wrong
education given in our school system.

[jess]

my question is this, why do you have to use contraceptives in the first place? i think what makes the bill anti-life and pro-lust is that it can encourage *** outside marriage,promote the material and worldy view of *** as only an act of pleasure rather than also of pro-creation. God was pleased(pleasure) when he created us, so He gave us the power to create also adding to it pleasure. My opinion is this, you can spend 60,70 or 80 years on earth enjoying the pleasure of *** alone,promoting lust,, pero if ul be dead,, think of where you will spend ur eternity, because in heaven, that bill will never be approved, so you go to hell..

[mannyamador]

CBCP to Pinoy families: Pray
By Edu Punay of Philippine Star

The Roman Catholic Church is calling on the Filipino family to pray and reflect on the country’s
situation, saying this could be the key to national renewal that will end the current political and
economic crises.

In a pastoral letter marking the celebration of National Family Week, the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the family — which it said has the power to change
the course of the nation — should continue to play a vital role in molding the future of the
country.

"As events move many of us to reflect on the fate of our country now beset by so many crises,
it is time to ask ourselves: What is the Lord trying to tell us? Is this the Will of the Lord for our
families and our nation," outgoing CBCP president Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla said yesterday.

Capalla believes that the future of the country depends on the good of the family since it "has
been designed and structured by God and serves as domestic church in which the life of grace
flows."

The CBCP head said it is about time to strengthen the family by having its members pray together
and perform their respective duties at home. He said parents, being the first teachers, must be
reminded that they are "accountable to God" for any negligence in their children’s upbringing.

Quoting Psalmist words of Pope Benedict XVI, Capalla stressed: "If the Lord does not build the
house, in vain do its builders labor. A sound society is born from the commitment of all its members,
but it needs the blessing and support of God who, unfortunately, is too often excluded and ignored."

The family, which is the foundation of society and the nation, is very important because it has the
mission to form the community, serve life, participate in developing society and share the mission
of the church, the CBCP president explained.

The CBCP has consistently called for sobriety among Filipinos as they face the current issues being
hurled at the government, ranging from alleged election fraud charges against President Arroyo to
the supposed involvement of her family in jueteng operations.

Just last week, the CBCP permanent council has maintained the Church’s earlier position on the
issue not to call for the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo while pursuing the truth behind the allegations.

Some Catholic bishops, led by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, have discouraged the public
from joining street protests organized by various opposition groups to force the President to resign
after the House of Representatives junked all three impeachment complaints against her last Sept. 6.

Vidal had explained that the Filipinos already witnessed how past mass actions have failed to bring
about lasting change in the country.

However, the CBCP made it clear that it would support any constitutional moves that will unveil the
truth behind the allegations, saying the Commission on Elections is still in the best position to initiate
investigation on the issue.

With the celebration of the Filipino family this week, the CBCP is also intensifying its campaign against
pending population control bills in Congress, which have been dubbed as "anti-life" proposals.

Given the vital role of the family in molding the future of the country, the bishops said that it must
not be hampered by proposed amendments in the constitution.

The CBCP is rallying against House Bills 3773, 1808, 3422, 634, and 4016, which it considers
"anti-family, anti-life, and against doctrines of the church."

"We have to be alert against legislative initiatives that will destroy the family and the nation in the
long run. The family and the country as well will not be blessed by such initiatives," stressed Capalla.

CBCP Legal Office executive secretary lawyer Jo Imbong earlier said it is a responsibility not only of
Catholics but of all Filipinos to ensure that their respective representatives in Congress would
support their real sentiments, which should be based on what is morally right.

"These bills violate several provisions in the Constitution that protect the family, marriage, and
morality," the lawyer stressed in a phone interview.

Under HB 3773, authored by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, each family would be limited to having only
two children. The proposal also requires teaching of a *** education subject for students from
Grade 5 to Senior High School and promotion of various methods of artificial contraception.

"This is a violation of Article 11 Section 12 of the Constitution, which provides the autonomy of the
family by infringing on their right to build a family according to their religious beliefs and conviction,"
explained Imbong.

Imbong also said the bill will "inculcate hedonistic values to our children" and "put an irreparable
wedge between married couples who differ on the number of children they want to have."

This bill, which is now for resolution in plenary session after it was passed in the committee hearings,
is related to HB 1808, Bill on Population and Development, and HB 3422, Bill on Responsible
Parenthood, which are both still in the committee level.

HB 634, or Anti-Discrimination Act, was filed by Akbayan Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales to allow same ***
marriages on the basis that denial of application for marriage of gay couples is "unlawful."

The CBCP official argued that this bill is in violation of Article 15 Section 1 because it "redefines the
family and its composition." She also noted that it is a "Trojan horse."

HB 4016, on the other hand, is the proposal of Bayan Muna Rep. Liza Masa, that would provide for
dissolution of marriage on the basis of irreconcilable differences. It is set for public hearing under
Committee on Revision of Laws.

Imbong said that Article 15 Section 2 of the Constitution, defines marriage as "an inviolable social
institution, foundation of family and protected by the State."

The lawyer explained that the CBCP has issued earlier this year a pastoral letter against these five
HBs entitled "Hold on to your Precious Gift." Since then, priests have been raising the issues in
their homilies.

She added that they have also been working hand in hand with various civil society groups in
lobbying against the bills. "I think they have already filed a position paper with the Congress
regarding these bills."

With its strong opposition to anti-family and anti-life proposals, the CBCP has also expressed its
concern on the imminent constitutional amendment, which it said can "open the floodgates for
contraceptives, abortion, divorce, same *** marriage and ultimately, euthanasia."

"Let us be vigilant against changing the family provisions of our Constitution. This is the same
process other countries went through and now they find themselves in a quagmire of a declining
population, degradation of morality and breakdown of family," stressed Imbong.

Even staunch Catholic countries in Europe like Spain, Italy and France have undergone these
changes while the Philippines remains as one of two countries in the world where divorce is not legal.

[mannyamador]

Oil reserves are double previous estimates, says Saudi
By Saeed Shah
Published: 28 September 2005
From http://news.independent.co.uk/busine...icle315546.ece

Saudi Arabia, the biggest oil producer, and Exxon Mobil, the largest
oil company, yesterday declared that the world had decades' worth of
oil to come, in an attempt to calm fears about the record prices
experienced in recent weeks.

Forming a powerful alliance, the Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi
said, at an industry conference in Johannesburg, that the country
would soon almost double its "proven" reserve base, while Exxon's
president, Rex Tillerson, spoke of 3 trillion or more barrels of oil
that are yet to be recovered.

Mr Naimi said that Saudi Arabia would "soon" add 200 billion barrels
to its current reserves estimate of 264 billion barrels. The level of
the kingdom's reserves and future production capacity are a
controversial issue, with sceptics suggesting that it is running out
of oil. Muhammed-Ali Zainy, of London's Centre for Global Energy
Studies, said: "Since these Opec countries [like Saudi Arabia] are
closed, the only information available is available to themselves
alone. So they can come up with a new reserves figure and the rest of
the world will just have to take it."

Mr Naimi also said that there were "no takers" for more oil right
now, as a result of constrained refining capacity. Roughly a quarter
of US refining capacity is still shut after Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita struck the country's southern coast, but global refining
capacity - to turn crude oil into petrol and other products - was
struggling to keep up with demand even before that.

"Give us the customers and we will pump more oil," the Saudi oil
minister told reporters at the 18th World Petroleum Congress, adding
that more refineries needed to be built. He said that enough global
output would be added in the next three to four years to restore
"some margin of safety" to oil markets.

The comments did have a soothing impact on the market. Despite early
reports that Rita has sunk several rigs and left at least nine others
adrift in the Gulf of Mexico, crude oil slipped 75 cents to end at
$65.07 in New York yesterday. US petrol prices, however, continued to
rise, leading George Bush to call on Americans to conserve fuel.

Saudi Arabia is the world's key oil power, with more than a third of
Middle Eastern reserves - on its existing estimate - and it currently
pumps out 9.5 million barrels a day, providing well over 10 per cent
of world supply.

Mr Naimi said talk of oil scarcity reminded him of the 1970s, when
people also thought the end of the age of oil was at hand. "But in
the intervening years, when we were supposedly facing a precipitous
decline, world oil reserves more than doubled," he said.

It is widely accepted that demand for oil will rise over the next
decade or two. Most projections of how that demand will be met assume
that Saudi Arabia will be able to ramp up production to 15 million
barrels a day or more by 2020.

However, sceptics, led by the US banker Matthew Simmons, have argued
that production in Saudi Arabia's known oil fields is already
declining and that no major new fields have been discovered. By
extension, these critics suggest the world has reached, or is about
to reach, the high point of production.

Separately, Exxon's Mr Tillerson told the convention in South Africa
that his company estimated that global energy demand would increase
by 50 per cent over the next 25 years. Mr Tillerson said that by some
estimates there was as much as 7 trillion barrels of oil yet to be
discovered. On a more conservative basis, the world still had more
than 3 trillion barrels from conventional fields, oil sands deposits
and other sources. "That is more than twice all the oil recovered up
to now in all of human history," Mr Tillerson said.

Craig Pennington, an energy analyst at Schroders in London, said:
"The message from these two [Naimi and Tillerson] is that, 'Don't
worry. We do have enough oil. Just give us time to bring it in'."

[mannyamador]

Take note that the EU program wants to promote "emergency contraception" which is a code-word for
abortion.

REPORT ON THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S MDG FORUM:
“MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS…YOUR RIGHTS!”
Waldo Perfecto Room
De La Salle University
Manila, Philippines


MANILA, Sept.29—The European Commission sponsored a youth-oriented forum at one of the
most prestigious Catholic academic institution in the country, the De La Salle University. The
event was attended by some 200 student and young leaders from different Catholic and State
universities, non-government organizations, and foreign delegations.

The theme of the program was the rights-based approach to advance the eight millennium
goals, among which is the promotion of “gender” equality (a problematic terminology since
“gender” simply does not refer to *** as in “male” and “female”, but to sexuality, as in feminine,
masculine, bisexual, homosexual, etc.), improvement of “maternal health” (a cue for
“reproductive health,” which is an euphemism for abortion), and the eradication of HIV/AIDS
through condoms (there never was a mention of abstinence or marital fidelity in the
documents and in the presentations).

During the program, “access to reproductive health services” for the youth was repeatedly
stressed by the speakers, although it was doubtful whether the participants got a clear
perception of the scope of the term. The speakers diverted from straightly discussing contents
of “reproductive health.” Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, chairperson of the National Youth
Commission, simply said, “when we talk about reproductive health, we talk about access to
reproductive health.” Period.

Aquino said they are eyeing on local government implementation of MDGs. “At the end of
the day, it’s the local governments that will pursue the MDGs,” he said. “We make it sure that
they craft their MDGs properly.”

Meanwhile, EU program officer Romina Sta. Clara said “when we talk about reproductive health,
we mention maternal and primary health.” (Now we know). Sta. Clara said they are working
for “legal sector reforms” to make component assistance improving “maternal health.” She
accused President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for restricting access to “reproductive health services.”
She said teen centers have already been established in the provinces, where youngsters are
trained as mentors to their fellows, providing “reproductive health” like “emergency contraception
and condoms.” There are twelve implementing organizations, including the Boy Scouts of the
Philippines and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.

According to her, the European Commission is working through the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) for its programs.

UN Association of the Philippines director Nenette Ang on one hand announced the planned
launching of SPAT, or Self Protection Against the Transmission of HIV/AIDS, which will promote
UN-style “prevention” of AIDS to students and young leaders in the country.

It just helped that the speakers bored the participants, despite the presence of video and
powerpoint presentations. Half past the program, less than 30 remained in the audio-visual
room, and no one approached the floor for the open forum. The event was organized by
the Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines, the De La Salle University’s
International Studies Department, the European Studies Association, the United Nations
Resident Coordinator’s Office, and the United Nations Association of the Philippines.

The student organizers, in behalf of the European Commission, awarded Pro-Life Philippines’
youth delegate a commemorative EU bag for being the sole organization to prepare copies of
statements and proposals for the speakers. The paper reads:

NOTE: Text of paper in next post

[mannyamador]

PRO-LIFE PHILIPPINES’ STATEMENT AND PROPOSALS FOR THE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S MDG FORUM:
“MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS…YOUR RIGHTS!”
Waldo Perfecto Room
De La Salle University
Manila, Philippines
Sept. 29, 2005


Dear fellow youth, student and government leaders, NGO representatives, and foreign delegates:

We from the Pro-Life Philippines, a cause-oriented organization that counsels and provides
welcome houses for troubled and pregnant teenagers, join you in this momentous gathering in
pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals.

We understand that youth empowerment cannot advance when basic human rights, especially
the right to life, are endangered. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child
says, “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs safeguard and care,
including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth.”

Here we see the need to advance prenatal and postnatal services to serve young mothers and
their unborn child, the creation of alternative and attendant means to pregnant teenagers so
they may not suffer their health and the death of their babies through abortion. We propose
the establishment of adoptive homes for pregnant teenagers, where they can receive proper
nutrition and continuous education until and after the moment of their child delivery.

We recognize that among the keypoints of the millennium development goals is the eradication
of HIV/AIDS. While some lobby groups settle for risk reduction through condom use, we aim for
total risk elimination through abstinence and marital fidelity, which safeguards against extragenital
infections and other sexually transmitted diseases like the human papilloma virus (HPV), where
there has been no evidence to confirm risk reduction by condom use alone. We commend the
example of Uganda, which pushed for chastity-based programs to cut its AIDS incidence by 60 %.
The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS epidemic update of December 2003 reports that “no
other country has matched this achievement at the national level.”

On achieving universal education to young men and women, particularly on sexual health, we
recommend fertility awareness and sexuality education where parents become the youth’s
primary educators and custodians on their sexual concerns. The 1995 World Summit on Social
Development at Copenhagen highlights “reproductive health care system to individuals of
appropiate age…taking into account the need for parental guidance and parental responsibility.”

We also urge the UN to promote healthy family environments for the youth, where marriage
and the family, the time-honored pillars of civilization, are given conditions for adequate security
and encouragement. This reflects the objectives of the 1999 Child Summit Plan of Actions,
which says, “for the full and harmonious development of their personality, children should grow
up in an atmosphere of happiness, love, and understanding.” We object against the
commodification of young men and women through prostitution and cybersex, and we have
been in active partnership with the Child Protection program of the United Nations Children’s
Fund, where we help in the surveillance of these crimes.

On the goal of maternal health, we believe that it is threatened by such abuses as state-coerced
family planning, where young people of reproductive age are often left without the knowledge
of the mechanism and the actual and relative side effects of birth control methods to their bodies.
We strongly condemn these practices as violations of human rights and informed choice. Terms
like “reproductive health services” and “reproductive rights” should not be used to compel abortion
acceptance in countries, undermining the values and sovereignty of individual nations.

We hereto submit and appeal for our recommendations for the approval and consideration of this
body. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
NICOLO F. BERNARDO
Youth Delegate

[mannyamador]

Rep Velarde's bill to regulate pills, injectables; to ban IUDs
(Oct 6, 2005 Press Release)

THE DEBATE on birth control is back, with a new house bill that will ban popular contraceptives
that are said to cause early abortions.

"Anti-abortives" House Bill 4643 filed by BUHAY Party-list Rep. Rene Velarde, son of El Shaddai
religious leader Mike Velarde, will regulate the use, production, and sale of pills, patches, and
injectables included in the bill’s list of “abortive drugs.” It is known that these hormonal
contraceptives do not only prevent the release of a woman’s egg (ovulation) and the meeting
of sperm and egg (fertilization) but also the implantation of an already fertilized ovum (embryo)
in a woman’s womb. Hence, the bill will only allow prescription of these and similar “potentially
abortive” drugs for therapeutic purposes and not for birth control.

The bill, after its first reading on Sept. 5, is currently pending with the Committee on Revision of
Laws and has 14 co-authors. The bill will also totally prohibit IUDs defined as “abortive devices”,
whose primary mechanism, the bill states, is to interfere with implantation. Velarde cites Article II,
Section 12 of the Constitution which mandates the protection of the unborn from conception,
also understood as the moment of fertilization.

“Every child is endowed with the dignity and worth of a human being from the moment of his
conception, as generally accepted in medical parlance, and has the right to be born well,” Velarde
explained. “This is clearly stipulated in our Constitution and reinforced by Presidential Decree 603
or the Child and Youth Welfare Code. And yet, the enforcement of the right of the unborn
against abortion continues to be weak.”

Velarde’s bill will order producers of “abortive” contraceptives to label their products as “abortifacient”
or has “abortifacient potential” to inform consumers of these products’ mechanisms. He criticized
certain agencies of the government that are promoting the use of abortifacient birth control methods
to serve population control.

“It’s the State’s obligation to uphold the right of the unborn and it is underscored by the fact that a
person is most defenseless while he rests in his mother’s womb,” Velarde said. “A society that allows
the killing of babies in their mother’s wombs loses its moral ascendancy to protest against the murder
and killing of persons who are well able to defend themselves.”

Former health secretary Manuel Dayrit also once proposed a ban on IUDs due to its abortive and side
effects. Local government ordinances in Manila already bar its public health centers from distributing
pills, injectables, and IUDs. The office of Representative Velarde, however, cleared that his bill has
no intent to prohibit contraception, but only drugs and devices that can work as abortives.

If Velarde’s bill becomes a law, the Philippines will be the second country to proscribe pills and IUDs
after Argentina. In 2003, Argentina’s federal judge Cristina Garzon de Lascano ruled that the pill and
IUD were “abortive” in nature, and should be banned since abortion is illegal in the country. The
judge outlawed the production and sale of these contraceptives and ordered the destruction of
existing supplies.

PRESS RELEASE REF: Nicolo F. Bernardo
Oct. 6, 2005 TEL# 911-2911/ 421-7147/ 277-1839/ 0927-2668556
EMAIL: life@prolife.org.ph
by Nicolo Bernardo

[mannyamador]

Counselling the Sexually-Active & Abortion-Minded Teens
November 12, 2005

Our daily encounter with the teens in crisis made us aware of the extent of the problems of
young people with abortion or contraceptive mentality. Their behaviour comes from a distorted
view of *** in the context of purely physical intimacy with no idea of true love and need for
marriage.

Reinforced by the media, the problem has grown tremendously. Now we hear stories of 12
year-old children having engaging in sexual relationship. Adults seem to be indifferent or
helpless in this situation.

How can we counsel the sexually-active and abortion-minded teens? How do we deal with
them? How can we understand them? Find out with our speaker.

Speaker: Sr. Mary Pilar Vesoza, RGS
National Coordinator, Pro life Philippines

Venue: Stella Maris College
Cambridge St. cor.Aurora Blvd.
(near LRT Megatrain Cubao Station and Isetann Dept. Store)
8:30 am to 12:00 noon

Fee: P120.00
(Inclusive of certificates, snacks and handouts)