Pacquiao will not be a champ in the fight against RH bill

PRESS RELEASE

18 May 2011

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) stated that Rep. Manny Pacquaio will face the fight of his life in the RH bill and forecasted that he will not emerge a champ in this gruelling match. “Pacquaio may not have been knocked out by questions about the contradiction between his position and his wife’s Jinkee’s use of the pill, but he will not survive a decision by the Filipino people on his fight for the RH bill. Survey after survey has shown a majority want access to reproductive health, among them birth control which Jinkee has the privilege of enjoying as a billionaire’s wife,” asserted Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

Once more, PM mobilized its members for lobbying with the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) at the House of Representatives in Batasan, Quezon City.  Hundreds of women trooped to Congress to see the expected debate between Rep. Edcel C. Lagman and Rep. Pacquaio on the interpellation for the RH bill.

And in response to Pacquiao’s support for the Catholic Church’s position, Miranda argued that, “More or less 40% of the Philippine population are below the poverty line, these people, especially women, cannot afford having many children as per statement na ang utos ng simbahan ay humayo at magparami.  The workers greatly admire Pacquiao for his boxing prowess, pero sana naman pag-isipan niya na ang deklarasyon niya bilang kinatawan ng Sarangani in particular ay may malaking impact sa kalusugan at buhay na kababaihan.”

“Insisting that Filipinos religiously follow the Catholic Church’s outmoded doctrine on family planning and contraception is disregard for women’s universal right to reproductive health,” declared Miranda.

“Bakit, Manny, pagtutulungan ba ninyo ng Simbahang Katoliko ang pagtugon sa gastusin at pangangailangan ng mahihirap na pamilya kung susundin nila ang kautusang ito?  If you can afford to buy a P4 million-bag for Mommy Dionisia, these poor Filipinos na marami ay kababayan mo cannot even afford to eat three meals a day, buy clothes and send their children to school,” added Miranda.

Indeed, Pacquiao has declared that he will not change his position, nevertheless, PM would like to make this last appeal, “Manny, mas kailangan ng mga manggagawa lalung-lalo na ng kababaihan ang tulong mo, more than former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and the Catholic Church.  Hindi kami hihingi ng balato mula sa milyon-milyong dolyar na kinikita mo sa boxing at commercials mo, ang hihingin naming balato ay puwang sa iyong puso para sa mahihirap.  Suportahan mo ang RH bill.”