Incest

brilliant. there is no population problem.

Manila City Hall: No Charter violation in population policy

The Philippine Star 05/25/2005

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza denied allegations yesterday that he violated

the Constitution by issuing an executive order favoring natural family

planning over artificial methods.

According to a special report by the Philippine Center for

Investigative Journalism, the 30 member organizations of Reproductive

Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) plan to sue Atienza, saying that by

depriving Manila's women a choice of family planning methods, he

violated the Constitution. They are gathering evidence to show that the

mayor has infringed on women's rights.

On Feb. 29, 2000, Atienza issued Executive Order 003, declaring the

government of Manila's "commitment and support to the responsible

parenthood movement." It vowed to uphold natural family planning "while

discouraging the use of artificial methods of contraception like

condoms, pills, intrauterine devices, surgical sterilization and

others."

Emmanuel Sison, Atienza's secretary, said in a statement that the

Constitution had been "the mayor's guidepost" in addressing the

issue, and cited two provisions reflecting the Charter's "pro-life"

and "pro-family" leanings.

He pointed out that Article 2, Section 12 reflects the pro-life bias of

the Constitution since it orders the government to "equally protect the

life of the mother and the unborn from conception."

Sison said Article 15, Section 1 highlights the Constitution's

pro-family bias. "The State recognizes the Filipino family as the

foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its

solidarity and actively promote its total development," the provision

read.

He said experts have "repeatedly affirmed" that as the basic social

unit, the family should have "freedom from destruction" and that

"whatever is destructive of the family is now considered

unconstitutional."

Sison also said Manila carried no ban on artificial family planning

methods, and private firms and non-government organizations (NGOs) are

not being restricted from selling or distributing them.

He disputed complaints by some NGOs operating in the city that they

felt harassed by the Manila government when distributing contraceptive

devices.

Dr. Junice Melgar, executive director of the NGO Likhaan, said some

member organizations of RHAN in Manila have received letters or been

visited by city health officials, while others have been summoned to

Manila City Hall.

Carolina Ruiz-Austria, director of Womenlead and one of the legal

counsels of RHAN, said the summons led to a viewing of the

anti-abortion film, "The Silent Scream," among other things that she

described as forms of "harassment."

She