BOXING icon and Rep. Emmanuel ?Manny? Pacquiao of Sarangani renewed his opposition to the reproductive health (RH) bill on Monday as fellow legislators honored him once more for his latest triumph in the ring. Appearing for the first time at the House of Representatives after arriving home on Saturday, the devoutly Catholic Pacquiao argued that the Bible does not state that couples should limit the number of their children.
?I am against the RH bill. The Bible said: Go [forth] and multiply. It did not say ?Go [forth] and multiply and have two or three kids,?? he said in Filipino during a press conference prior to Monday?s session.
The boxer-turned-lawmaker was referring to House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman?s House Bill 96?An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population and Development?which calls on the government to provide accessible, affordable and effective reproductive health-care services.
The proposal also aims to promote all modern natural and artificial methods of family planning that are medically, safe, legal and effective without bias.
It also groups several contraceptives such as pills and condoms?which gained headlines after Pope Benedict XVI?s remarks on the subject on Sunday?as modern methods of family planning.
?Makasalanan ?yung gagamit ng condom saka ?yung nagpapalaglag [It?s sinful to use condoms and commit abortion],? Pacquiao pointed out.
Couples, he said, should undergo natural family-planning orientation and sacrifice pleasure if they really want to limit their children because of financial constraints.
Pacquiao?s attendance at Monday?s session not only marked his return to his lawmaking duties, it also provided his colleagues another opportunity to honor him with a Congressional Medal of Honor?the boxer?s second?for defeating Mexican-American Antonio ?Tijuana Tornado? Margarito in a lopsided match on November 14.
House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. bestowed the medal on him based on House Resolution 44, which Belmonte authored in consolidation with 18 resolutions and adopted on November 15.
?Whereas with the victory, Rep. Emmanuel ?Manny? Pacquaio became the only professional boxer to win an unprecedented eight world titles in eight different divisions,? the resolution stated.
It continued to pay tribute to the Sarangani lawmaker for ?surpassing the legendary careers of boxing greats such as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar Dela Hoya.?
?We honor Manny today, not just for what he has achieved but more so for what his many victories signify for us, his countrymen. This is the same young man who lived in dire straits for most of his young life but refused to make [those] circumstances limit him,? Belmonte explained.
In his privilege speech, Pacquaio said that he is proud to be a member of the House.
?Sa boxing, ?di ako kinakabahan, dito lang [I don?t get nervous when it comes to boxing, only here]? he joked.
Pacquiao thanked those who watched the fight, saying, ?Alam ko sa bawat suntok ay alam ko na kasabay ko ang mga Pilipino [I know that Filipinos are with me with every punch I throw].?
When asked on what he would be doing next as a legislator, he said that he is eyeing the establishment of provincial hospitals in Sarangani.
Pacquiao added that he also wants to provide livelihood programs free education and health care services to his constituents.
Llanescat T. Panti and Ruben D. Manahan 4th
