Legal abortion violates human rights

The Ang Kapatiran Party (AKP) condemns in the strongest possible terms the reckless, irresponsible, and inhuman call for the legalization of abortion in the Philippines by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR). A foreign law firm, the CRR has released a report where it wrongly blames the continued criminalization of abortion as a source of women's rights violations.

Our nation's pro-life laws do not violate the rights of women. Rather, they protect the inalienable right to life of all persons, including the unborn, around half of whom are female. Abortion is the murder of the weakest and most innocent of all human beings. It is the ultimate violation of human rights.

The abortion industry is a worldwide monstrosity that has killed more human beings in just 40 years (approximately ONE BILLION unborn children) than all the wars in the history of mankind (around 400 million). This form of mass murder must not be made legal in the Philippines.

The CRR's call for legal abortion also reveals the hidden agenda of the pro-RH advocates who are pushing for the passage of Congressman Edcel Lagman's RH/Abortion Bill. No less than U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has publicly acknowledged that the Obama administration’s worldwide reproductive health agenda -- whose many agents in the Philippines receive its financial support either directly or indirectly -- includes the promotion of abortion.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the Lagman bill explicitly funds the procurement and distribution of abortifacient contraceptives. Such contraceptives have been shown to cause early-term abortions by preventing the implantation and development of the fertilized egg -- which is already a newly-conceived human being -- in the womb. This is clearly against the Philippine Constitution which protects the unborn from conception which begins at fertilization (the union of sperm and egg).

The party also notes that the CRR report claims that many women turn to abortion for economic reasons. Abortion and contraception, however, will not address the issue of poverty. What is needed are measures that address the root causes of poverty, such as minimizing graft and corruption, a stop to indiscriminate debt servicing, implementation of economic policies that cater to the needs of Filipinos rather than foreign interests, the dismantling of economic and political dynasties, and basic honest and good governance.

Many women likewise turn to abortion because of rape and incest. Such cases indicate a degradation of moral values and lack of respect for persons. Abortion and contraception will not address these issues either and may actually help cover up such abuses. What is needed are effective values and education and promotion of good morals in media.

Contraception and values-free sex education, which are being touted as alternatives to abortion, have not been shown to effectively lower unplanned pregnancies or abortion rates in free societies. In fact in many countries, these measures sometimes increase the number of unplanned pregnancies and abortion rates.

Abortion solves nothing, but it does kill an innocent child. That act, by definition, is called murder.

About the Ang Kapatiran Party