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By the Bohol Chronicle

Majority of the Boholanos favor natural birth control, as compared to the various artificial methods in controlling the population boom in the country.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of the respondents during a radio survey strongly voiced out their views that natural birth control is the rightful way to arrest the continued increase in population, citing that doing so is a manifestation of "one's respect and reverence to God given gift of life ."

Of those who favored natural birth control, a significant 89% said that they consider it a serious sin against the Creator if man "disrupts what is already planned in the palm of His hands."

The views of well meaning Boholanos were recorded in the top-rated weekly survey slot, "Radyo Merkado" over dyRD yesterday, a day after Bishop Nereo Odchimar, president of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) denied having threatened Pres. Aquino with ex-communication should he push for the use of artificial contraceptives to curb the population growth.

Some of the respondents cited that promoting artificial birth control is identical to allowing immorality in society wherein "sex becomes like a commodity anyone can buy and enjoy."

This prevalent use of artificial birth control methods promotes "unfaithfulness in the family," a respondent said which usually results to broken homes.

The pro-life respondents rallied the cross-section of the community to support the stand of the Church in promoting natural birth control while they admitted as alarming the rapid increase in the country's population.
         

Of the 105 respondents, 16 percent (16%) aired their support for both natural and artificial birth control citing that majority of the Filipinos are exposed to the risk of adding to the population because of the "luxury of time and idleness" of people especially in the rural areas. They said that "for lack of better and productive things to do, people will indulge in sex, thus they need support in some form of birth control."

"Natural control is the method advocated by the Church," they cited, but added that "leaving the millions of Filipinos to the natural way alone will risk many of them to having unwanted births.

"That's the reason why we favor both natural and artificial birth control," a respondent explained.

The remaining thirty-two percent (32%) who favored artificial birth control cited the Filipinos being often "irresponsible" when it comes to sex education. Because of this large sector, it becomes "necessary to promote artificial birth control, citing particularly the use of condoms.

Some of the respondents who favored artificial control cited the practice abroad wherein even parents are much too liberal as to remind their children to bring condoms when they go out to parties with their girlfriends.

"It's a practical way to react to a given situation," a vocal respondent said over the airlanes.

For his part, Bishop Leonardo Medroso said the Church needs to be more dynamic and pro-active in its campaign for natural birth control as against the heavily commercialized drive for artificial birth control.

"The Church is not relaxing on its stand against the Reproductive Health bill," the bishop assured.

CBCP CANNOT EXCOMMUNICATE

The CBCP has no vested power to excommunicate parishioners under the flock.

This was the categorical statement issued by Bishop Leonardo Medroso who clarified that the bishops have not issued any stand nor reaction regarding the pronouncement of Pres. Aquino that he favors voluntary family planning, birth spacing and contraceptive use .

Medroso said that it is only the Pope and the bishop in a particular diocese who can excommunicate, but not any organization such as the CBCP.

Asked if an act of endorsing the use of condoms be a ground for excommunication, the church leader said "it's not." even as he stated that condom use which is one of the artificial birth control methods is opposed by the church.

"An abortion is a ground for excommunication," Medroso cited. President Aquino likewise condemns the practice of abortion.

MISCOMMUNICATION

Bishop Odchimar said the highest Church body in the country had "not contemplated to excommunicate the President" even as he mentioned in an interview with Radio Veritas the "possibility of Mr. Aquino facing excommunication." His remarks were only carried in the national media but also reported in the Catholic news service UCAN, a website featuring news about the Catholic Church.

Odchimar said the Church wanted to address the reproductive health issues through a dialogue and not confrontation.

He said the threat of excommunication at this point can hardly be considered to be in line with mode of dialogue, the CBCP president said last Friday.

A radio survey conducted by "Radyo Merkado" over dyRD yesterday showed 81% against such move to excommunicate the President while 19% favored such move in the event that Pres. Aquino makes bolder steps to support the use of artificial methods of birth control.

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