The world’s largest abortion provider would rather ignore laws that protect parental rights if these hampered the youth’s access to “sexual and reproductive rights.”
The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) said in an official statement that “laws that restrict young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health services, including parental or spousal consent laws” must be either struck down or kept from being implemented, based on a Friday Fax report from the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-FAM).
Reacting on the report, Catholic lawyer Romulo Macalintal said the IPPF’s statement is unconstitutional as it is the primary right of parents to nurture their children especially in the development of their character.
“Clearly, under our Constitution, it is the primary right and duty of the parents to rear our youth especially in the development of their moral character. This is in total opposition to the aforesaid position of the IPPF,” he said.
Macalintal, who specializes in election and political laws, explained that the 1987 Philippine Constitution is “very specific on this issue and cited Section 12, Article II: “The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic and efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the government.”
“Any law similar to that suggested by the IPPF shall be struck down for being unconstitutional or in violation of the said provision of our constitution. The use of the adjective ‘primary’ to describe the degree of ‘right and duty’ of the parents emphasizes and stresses the directive of our Constitution for our parents to look after the development of the moral values of our youth,” he pointed out.
The lawyer found the IPPF statement “shocking and deplorable,” but said that “coming from an organization aimed at ‘promoting sexual and reproductive health… it is no longer surprising to hear and read such ridiculous and frivolous position.”
Recalling several incidents involving students which showed the young people’s lack of good judgment and which made for newspaper fodder for several days, Macalintal said that “at least for Filipinos, there is no rhyme nor reason to remove or refrain parents from exercising their parental control and extension of parental guidance to their young children. Our culture and tradition are so different from other modern countries and I am still hopeful that a great majority of our youth of today and their parents uphold a high degree of standards in their moral and family values.”
“Our Filipino youth should continue honoring and respecting their parents who remain the ‘wind beneath their wings’ as they continue to fly and aim for higher goals and endeavors,” he added.
The push by IPPF — which has lobbied worldwide for the legalization and for repeal of laws preventing legal access to abortion — to make parental authority irrelevant in the lives of their children particularly concerning access to reproductive health services, becomes more significant as the United Nations Commission on Population and Development is considering giving “sexual and reproductive health and rights” to children as young as 10 years.
That the right to “sexual and reproductive health” will be defined as including access to abortion and contraception is a possibility, given developments that have been taking place on the international level as regards “reproductive health” services and comprehensive sex education. (CBCP for Life)
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