Philippines Supreme Court hears challenge to "reproductive health" law

(Vatican Radio) In the Philippines, the Supreme Court is still listening to testimony from groups opposed to a Reproductive Health law passed last year. The Supreme Court suspended the law in March so that the judges could hear the 15 formal petitions from a range of groups arguing that it was unconstitutional. The move to strike down the law is supported by the Catholic Church.

“The law [says] the government should spread for free contraceptives…most of the people here in the Philippines, maybe 85%, are Catholics,” said Bishop Gabriel Reyes, of the Diocese of Antipolo. Bishop Reyes serves as the chairman of the Philippine Bishops Conference Committee on Family and Life.

He told Vatican Radio another provision of the law mandates sex education in public schools, which would be presented in a “value-free” manner.

“We are against that because we always stress that the parents have the primary right and duty to educate their children, and they can choose what kind of sex education they want their children to have,” he said.

Listen to the interview by Charles Collins with Bishop Reyes: