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Third part of a series

(Note: This is the continuation of the exhaustive dissection by Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. of the reproductive-health bill principally authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman. Excerpts of the still-evolving critique started to run in this section in our Nov. 21-22, 2008 issue. The bills provisions are denoted in bold italics.)

(Continuation of Section 2, Declaration of Policy)

10. Male involvement and participation in reproductive health;

Only insofar as it impresses on the man the full gamut of his obligations toward a woman in the area of reproduction without giving him any rights on the matter. This is not Taliban Afghanistan. In the area of reproduction, only women have rights and expectations; men have none. This is a function of anatomy.

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11. Prevention and treatment of infertility and sexual dysfunction;

Right, but only with respect to infertility and impotence affecting one who expressly desires to have children. But not for one who hungers for but cannot get an erection for itself.

12. Reproductive-health education for the youth.

Right, provided it does not impinge on parental authority to decide moral issues for their children.

h. Reproductive Health Education Refers to the process of acquiring complete, accurate and relevant information on all matters relating to the reproductive system, its functions and processes and human sexuality; and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, interpersonal relationships, affection, intimacy and gender roles. It also includes developing the necessary skills to be able to distinguish between facts and myths on sex and sexuality; and critically evaluate and discuss the moral, religious, social and cultural dimensions of related sensitive issues such as contraception and abortion.

It is the ideology of a pseudoscience with unfounded claims to scientific completeness, accuracy, relevanceand the success that has eluded it, except in the Nazi death camps.

Again, this is a dig at the Catholic Church, which is impliedly accused of opposing complete, accurate and relevant information on reproduction and the sex act in itself, as well as the enlightened attitudes and beliefs advanced by this bill about sex, sexual identity (who is and how you get to be a homo- or heterosexual); how to connect with girls or boys; how to foster affection when your advances are not reciprocated; how to overcome indifference and get intimate; and what you can and cannot do depending on your sex. And, for the woman only, how to know whether what is being done to her is or isnt abortion; eschewing the former.

The third partIt also includes developing the necessary skills to be able to distinguish

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between facts and myths on sex and sexualityis a shot not over the bow but directly at the Catholic Church, which this bill alleges peddles fables rather than facts, mythology rather than medical science, on the subject of birth control. Excuse me, but compelling rudimentary but nonetheless mathematical computations (basic arithmetic) to determine pregnancy risk-free periods (probability theory) for sexual intercourse is rather more scientific than pulling on either a plastic cap (today) or sheep gut (in the Middle Ages) to prevent conception. Sheep gut required some veterinary know-how, pulling on a condom, zero intellectual effort.

Nonetheless, here we have the outright declaration of intellectual war on alleged Catholic ecclesiastical ignorance and obscurantism by the self-described forces of scientific enlightenment.

After this bill becomes law, two things are established by law: (1) that the Catholic Church is the enemy of knowledge, progress and social well-being, most certainly in the field of sex and reproduction, and (2) the advocates of this bill are champions of knowledge, progress and social well-being who will achieve by statute what they have failed to do by argument: The destruction of the main intellectual opposition to the triumph of their system of beliefs on the subject; to wit, the spiritual and moral authority of the Catholic Church.

The bill requires State-sponsored and tax-paid propaganda to demolish the uncompromising Catholic attitude and belief on birth control. It makes Catholics pay with their taxes for the demolition of their religion.

The bill calls for necessary skills. You can be sure those skills will not include the Socratic method of testing one hypothesis against another in free debate. This bill claims to have all the answers already and legislates them as conclusive.

This bill claims that all the right answers are already in the possession of its advocates. All that remains is to push those answers on the population, over the corpse of the Churchs moral authority.

Among these necessary skills is a kind of brainwashing involving less what to think than how to think. This bill would legislate how we are to critically evaluate and discuss the moral, religious, social and cultural dimensions of contraception and sexual pleasure, so that we always arrive at

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the conclusions laid down by this bill as law. Stalinism comes to mind.

i. Male involvement and participationRefers to the involvement, participation, commitment and joint responsibility of men with women in all areas of sexual and reproductive health, as well as reproductive-health concerns specific to men.

It cannot be a joint responsibility until man acquires a vagina and a womb.

j. Reproductive tract infectionRefers to sexually transmitted infections, sexually transmitted diseases and other types of infections affecting the reproductive system.

This is too much detail; the aim is to create the impression of an esoteric discipline when we are just talking about birth control. The real nitty-gritty of reproductive health belongs exclusively to medical practice on which there already is legislation, a code of professional conduct, and a professional regulatory commission to enforce it. It is unwise to legislate more.

k. Basic Emergency Obstetric Care Refers to lifesaving services for maternal complication being provided by a health facility or professional, which must include the following six signal functions: administration of parenteral antibiotics; administration of parenteral oxytocic drugs; administration of

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parenteral anticonvulsants for pre-eclampsia and eclampsia; manual removal of placenta; and assisted vaginal delivery.

Another example of the bills authors and advocates playing doctor-doctor, as the naughty among us did when we were kids. Medical science knows more; licensed doctors, qualified nurses and licensed midwives already prescribe and practice these cures and procedures. This is the first attempt to politicize a science since Stalin dictated the natural laws of genetics to Soviet biologists on pain of losing not just their jobs but their lives, as well.

l. Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric CareRefers to basic emergency obstetric care, plus two other signal functions: performance of caesarean section and blood transfusion.

Just more of the same; this bill would freeze medical symptoms, cures and procedures by statute and apply statutory cures to medical conditions. We cannot legislate in science or the arts. This seems an attempt to claim credit for the most humdrum medical procedures and pass them off as personal achievements of the bill.

m. Maternal Death ReviewRefers to a qualitative and in-depth study of the causes of maternal death with the primary purpose of preventing future deaths through changes or additions to programs, plans and policies.

Now the bill ventures into forensic medicine. This is regular procedure in all hospitals, as anyone with a death in the family will tell you; uncommon results are reviewed in medical schools.

n. Skilled AttendantRefers to an accredited health professional such as a licensed midwife, doctor or nurse who has adequate proficiency and the skills to manage normal (uncomplicated) pregnancies, childbirth and the immediate postnatal period, and in the identification, management and referral of complication in women and newborns.

More of the same credit-grabbing; soon the sight of a midwife will instantly recall the advocates

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of this bill come elections.

o. Skilled AttendanceRefers to childbirth managed by a skilled attendant under the enabling conditions of a functional emergency obstetric care and referral system.

Tautological; a definition cannot use the term defined. A skilled attendant at childbirth is an attendant skilled at childbirth.

p. DevelopmentRefers to a multidimensional process involving major changes in social structures, popular attitudes and national institutions, as well as the acceleration of economic growth, the reduction of inequality and the eradication of widespread poverty.

Jejune and already disposed of; unsupported by serious theory or historical evidence. Even if it were a sound view, it can be published but not dignified into a law. That would be like repealing the theory of supply and demand by legislation and legislating another theory to replace it; grazing, if not piercing, the hull of religious freedom and nonestablishment.

q. Sustainable Human DevelopmentRefers to the totality of the process of expanding human choices by enabling people to enjoy long, healthy and productive lives, affording them access to resources needed for a decent standard of living and assuring continuity and acceleration of development by achieving a balance between and among a manageable population, adequate re-sources and a healthy environment.

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Granting but only for the sake of argument that this is a respectable theorythough the historical evidence refutes itits idea of sustainable human development is expanding human choices by extending human life. But [it effectively says] not all human life; only the lives of the resource-rich and therefore more evolved few who shall be allowed to populate the future. It does not include the lives of the many deprived, on whom limited resources are wasted and whose substandard reproduction must be discouraged. Even the number of the few must be determined by the balance of population and available resources, along with the promotion of a healthy environment. Since the only destroyer of the natural environment is people; then fewer people, less pollution; no people, no pollution. As we have said, this bill professes a civil religion of emptiness.

The motive force of history is not balance but imbalance, what sparks and accelerates change is not plenty but scarcity. That is what moved populations around and made new history. There is no historical proof nor any respectable argument that sustainable human development requires expanding human choices by extending human life beyond the natural limit of three score years and 10, give or take a couple of years; same with a decent standard of living for all. On the contrary, see Egypt and China in the distant past; the vast income disparities in the United States today.

r. Population Development Refers to a program that aims to: (1) help couples and parents achieve their desired family size; (2) improve reproductive health of individuals by addressing reproductive-health problems; (3) contribute to decreased m aternal and infant mortality rates and early child mortality; (4) reduce incidence of teenage pregnancy; and (5) enable the government to achieve a balanced population distribution.

Nothing wrong with this, except that balanced population distribution has nothing to do with reproduction and birth control; it is determined by another factor identified by Paul Krugman, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on it. It has to do with the natural convergence in the same general area of related economic activities and skills. Why car making converged on Detroit and information technology in Silicon Valley. Refer to the Committee on Trade.

SEC. 5. The Commission on Population (Popcom). Pursuant to the herein declared policy, the Commission on Population (Popcom) shall serve as the central planning, coordinating, implementing and monitoring body for the comprehensive and integrated policy

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on reproductive health and population development. In the implementation of this policy, Popcom, which shall be an attached agency of the Department of Health shall have the following functions.

Reestablishes a reinvigorated Popcom as the Vatican of Vasectomy.

a. To create an enabling environment for women and couples to make an informed choice regarding the family planning method that is best suited to their needs and personal convictions;

Gives the misimpression of encouraging free choice while mandating only the choice informed and dictated by this bill.

b. To integrate on a continuing basis the interrelated reproductive health and population development agenda into a national policy, taking into account regional and local concerns;

Gives the misimpression that a bill of national coverage dictating one national policy will be tailored to regional and local concerns. What it really means is that Popcom can implement a national reproductive health, sex enhancement and birth-control program on a selective basis, targeting some regions and localities for more insistent population reduction while sparing

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others. More Bicolanos but fewer Cebuanos? I dont know; I didnt write this bill.

c. To provide the mechanism to ensure active and full participation of the private sector and the citizenry through their organizations in the planning and implementation of reproductive-health care and population development programs and projects;

Gives the misleading impression that participation is encouraged among all sectors interested in the subject, but, in fact, Popcom will allow only those the bill regards as concerned individuals, organizations, sectors to have access, influence and participation in population policymaking and program development and implementation. The unconcerned are excluded. This violates equality.

d. To ensure peoples access to medically safe, legal, quality and affordable reproductive-health goods and services;

Affordable? I thought it was free. At any rate, what is medically safe, legal, quality and affordable is what conforms to this bill, thereby conferring a preferential advantage on the opponents of the Church on the population issue. This also assumes the Church is wrong to hold and teach its view to its own adherents, which violates religious freedom and nonestablishment.

e. To facilitate the involvement and participation of nongovernment organizations and the private sector in reproductive-health care service delivery and in the production, distribution and delivery of quality reproductive health and family planning supplies and commodities to make them accessible and affordable to ordinary citizens;

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What seems like an open invitation is a summons to the exclusive club of this bills public and private advocates and their privately owned NGOs. Also redundant, but this bills advocates cannot have the authority to run this highly expensive and very political power trip repeated enough.

Am I sounding repetitive? I know I am repetitive. But my repetitiveness merely echoes the repeated redundancy of this bills provisions.

It is as though its advocates cannot pass up any chance to take a dig at the Catholic Church, or miss an opportunity and even snatch it out of thin air just to show up the alleged ignorance, obscurantism and outright fabrications of the Catholic Church on the subjects of birth control, womens rights, reproductive sex, just plain great sex, young sex and old sex, as well as human relationships, economics and sociology.

Where are the operational details of even an entirely artificial birth-control program? There are detailed power grabs throughout the structure of the government. How these powers will be used and in what particular programs, all that is left pretty much in the air with a few inappropriate gestures in the direction of particular medical procedures that are properly dealt with in the code of conduct of the profession concerned.

To be continued

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