The Supreme Court of the Philippines recently upheld several large provisions of its government's plan to provide birth control options to the poor, Bloomberg reported. The decision of the 15-member court to rule that the country's Reproductive Health Act was constitutionally valid had rejected 14 lawsuits from interest groups who claimed that the passing of such law will curb right to religious freedom by mandating control of the Philippines' population, the news agency said. On the other hand, the country's high court canceled out provisions that involved minors and spousal consent.
In a televised briefing in Manila, court spokesman Theodore Te said, "The Reproductive Health Law is not unconstitutional based on the grounds raised. (The tribunal handed down its ruling) after scrutiny of various arguments and contentions."
The law will now guarantee Filipinos universal access to birth control options like contraceptives, fertility control and services like sex education and maternal care. According to the United Nations, the international body will help the country reduce its poverty levels as a fifth of the nation's 107 million people are currently living in slum conditions.
Political science professor Benito Lim at the Ateneo de Manila University told Bloomberg over the phone, "It's a big win not only for Aquino's push to curb population growth but also for women who have long defied the church by seeking to control their own bodies. It also shows the Catholic Church doesn't wield as much political influence as before."
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines is clearly not happy with the decision. The religious group had said in a statement published on its website, "(The court has) truly watered down (the law and) upheld the importance of adhering to an informed religious conscience even among government workers. The church must continue to uphold the sacredness of human life."
