Two more petitions vs. RH law filed
TWO more petitions to declare Republic Act 10354, or the reproductive health (RH) law, unconstitutional were filed before the Supreme Court on Thursday.
In their petition for certiorari and prohibition with preliminary injunction, or temporary restraining order, former sen. Francisco Tatad, his wife, Fenny, and lawyer Alan Paguia asked the High Court to reject the law, arguing that “the RH law cannot coexist with the Constitution.”
They sought a restraining order pending final determination of the case.
The petitioners pointed out, among others, that “the State can- not, as a general principle, routinely invade the privacy of married couples in the exercise of their most intimate rights and duties to their respective spouses.”
“The law is contrary to public morals and destructive of the harmony and peace of society. The individual has the right to live his, or her intimate family life with utmost dignity without any undue interference from the State,” they said.
The petitioners added that a married couple’s decision to practice birth control, regardless of the means, or method to be used, “belongs to [them] alone, or in some exceptional cases perhaps to the woman alone, but under no circumstance is it to be imposed by any external entity or agent.”
Tatad is the author of several books and an international humanitarian worker for the family and human life. His wife is a humanitarian volunteer worker for the family and human life here and abroad.
Their petition was directed against the office of President Benigno Aquino 3rd, who signed the reproductive health into law on December 21, 2012.
Several petitions against the law are now pending before the High Tribunal.
Besides the petition of the Tatads and Paguia, another one was filed jointly by Doctors for Life and Filipinos for Life, through lawyer Howard Calleja, also seeking a restraining order, or a preliminary injunction.
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Health Secretary Enrique Ona, Education Secretary Armin Luistro and Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd, were impleaded in the petition.
The petitioners branded that the measure as “ultimately detrimental to our society.”
Thus, they said that the court should stop its implementation and the release of government funds for such purpose.
“A study conducted in Spain shows that despite the use of condoms and birth control 2,000 women over the span of 10 years, the incidence of elective abortions doubled,” part of the petition read.
“There can only be one explanation for this. The over-dependence of individuals on contraceptives promotes irresponsible, reckless and imprudent sexual behavior,” it added.
“Although no law should establish or promote any religion, the law should also accommodate the religious beliefs of individuals and not force them to act against their beliefs. RA 10354 completely disregards the fact that majority of the Filipino people are devout Roman Catholics, who firmly believe in procreation and do not subscribe to the belief that pregnancies should be controlled or prevented,” the petitioner said.