Malacañang on Sunday urged Catholic bishops to stop turning the debate on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) into a personal battle with President Benigno Aquino III.
“It’s better to raise the level of our public debates and not make it personal," said deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte.
Valte said government and religious leaders should instead tackle before the public the merits and demerits of the issues surrounding RH bill, which is opposed by the Catholic Church for promoting artificial family planning methods.
Valte said this as several bishops criticized Aquino and even challenged him to put them in jail for calling for civil disobedience in protest of the possible passage of RH bill in Congress.
Aquino had said last week that those who are calling for civil disobedience are committing sedition.
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, in response, said Aquino sounded like the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who also threatened groups calling for civil disobedience during his regime.
Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Collin Bagaforo and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo have said they will obey God “rather than men and immoral laws."
Another Malacañang official, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang, said issues of national importance should be presented within the means of the law.
“There is room for debate, but it doesn’t have to degenerate to illegal acts or anything like that," Carandang said. — KBK, GMA
