Essay About Manila City Hall And Emmanuel Sison

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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 Manilas women a choice of family planning methods, he
violated the Constitution. They are gathering evidence to show that the
mayor has infringed on womens rights.
On Feb. 29, 2000, Atienza issued Executive Order 003, declaring the
government of Manilas “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, Atienzas secretary, said in a statement that the
Constitution had been “the mayors guidepost” in addressing the
issue, and cited two provisions reflecting the Charters “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 Constitutions
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.”