Youth continue to debunk claims of being pro-RH bill

When Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP) representatives asserted in a press statement that the youth will fiercely campaign against lawmakers opposing the reproductive health (RH) bill, leaders of several student and youth organizations denied the assertion. Now, another member of the youth sector — a University of the Philippines fresh graduate – is brushing off the SCAP’s claims.

Aaron R. Veloso, who recently graduated with a degree in Political Science, reiterated that the claim is presumptious.

“I am appalled, to say the least, by the threat that two of my esteemed colleagues, [JC] Tejano and [Heart] Dino, have publicly made against anti-RH legislators. Tejano and Dino are members of ALYANSA from UP Diliman, while I am a member of BIGKIS in UP Manila. Both organizations are members of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines. Tejano and Dino can speak for themselves, but I must state that they do not speak for me,” Veloso said.

Tejano had also remarked that there was no solid Catholic block vote.

“I must remind my esteemed colleague that there is also no youth block vote, inside or outside the University of the Philippines,” Veloso pointed out. “I thus question on which grounds Tejano and Dino claim to speak for the youth, when even among members of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, there is a good number of people who are against the RH Bill. My own organization, in fact, maintained that the RH Bill in its current form should not be passed.”

Tejano in March claimed that “We will make sure they will lose in 2013 as we are ready to launch the full force of the youth against anti-RH legislators.” Only recently the Federation of National Youth Organizations (FNYO), a network of youth groups and movements released a statement in response, denouncing the claim of the bill’s proponents that poverty was caused by overpopulation, hence the alleged need to pass the RH bill.

“How can the passing of [an] RH Bill be a solution to this problem? Instead of funding efforts to pass such a bill, the government should direct the funds to the poor,” the groups declared in their statement.

Veloso further clarified that he cannot agree with what the RH bill proposes.

“I firmly maintain that we cannot, in good conscience and in a sober disposition, agree to pass this reproductive health bill that is being foisted upon us, keeping in mind not only our duty to our God and our Church, but also our duty to the taxpayers and the Filipino people in general.”  (CBCP for Life)