Tsunami Waves Hit U.S.—Some Damage in Hawaii, California

In Japan the magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck at 2:46 p.m., local time, along a segment of the undersea Japan Trench northeast of Tokyo, where the Pacific Ocean seabed dives under the Eurasian tectonic plate.

It's the fifth largest earthquake to be recorded anywhere in the world since 1900, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (Get tsunami facts.)

Hours after the earthquake in Japan, the first tsunami waves struck Hawaii, where peak heights of between 7 and 11 feet (2 and 3 meters) have been reported on Maui and the Big Island. One hotel near Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island reported water in its lobby, according to the Associated Press, but overall damage was minimal.

On the U.S. mainland, the tsunami had been predicted to hit the northern Oregon coast first, at approximately 7:15 a.m. Instead, the waves came in first along the state's southern shores, at about 7:48 a.m., according to television reports.

But that discrepancy is nothing to be ashamed of, geophysicist Seth Stein told National Geographic News. "These models are very good today. They're not perfect, but they're getting better."

Wave heights in Oregon were relatively small—appearing to be about 3 or 4 feet (90 and 120 centimeters) on TV broadcasts. And unlike in Natori, Japan (picture), the wave did not come in as a wall of breaking foam. Rather, the tsunami in Oregon was much like the tide coming in and out, again and again, every 10 to 15 minutes.

Farther down the U.S. West Coast, California suffered damages to docks and boats.

At the northern port of Crescent City, "the harbor has been destroyed," city councilman Rich Enea told the Times-Standard newspaper, which reported crushed city docks and as many as 35 ruined boats.

Overall, though, reports suggest the state escaped the tsunami largely unscathed.

(See tsunami pictures.)

Tsunami Shaped by Seafloor

Though generally relatively small in the U.S., wave heights from the tsunami varied a bit, said Stein, of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

"What we're seeing is [the effect] of local seafloor topography. Some harbors will get big waves, and some will get small ones."

For example, many low-lying areas, which might otherwise seem vulnerable to flooding, are up rivers, which deflect and attenuate waves as they move inland—reducing the flooding, said Chris Goldfinger, director of the Active Tectonics and Seafloor Mapping Laboratory at Oregon State University.

By contrast, "other places have amplification by the local bathymetry. ... ," Goldfinger said via email.

On a broader scale, Northwestern's Stein added, "You have longer-range effects, like whether the wave gets focused by the bottom of the ocean" as it travels from Japan.

Authorities in Hawaii also noted that tsunami waves can bounce back and forth between the islands, prolonging the sloshing.

Trading One Earthquake Zone for Another

In a twist of fate, Oregon State's Goldfinger was at a seismology meeting in Chiba, Japan, listening to a talk about the 2004 Sumatran tsunami, when Friday's Japanese tsunami struck.

"We watched the tsunami come in live [on TV] in Sendai and Iwaki," he told National Geographic News by email. "Ships washing into town, amazing. Here in Chiba, you could literally feel the plates grinding."

But the big damage won't be from the grinding—it's the flooding that's most destructive, said Northwestern's Stein. "That was the case in Sumatra too, whereas the tsunami did enormous damage."

(Related: "Earthquake Fault Under Tokyo Closer Than Expected, Study Finds.")

Tsunami Is Wake-up Call for U.S. West

Friday's tsunami, scientists said, is another wake-up call to residents of the coastal Pacific Northwest, where the tectonics are very similar to those in the Japan Trench. (Video: Tsunami 101.)

“This is an earthquake of the same type, with about the same magnitude and proximity that we face here in the Pacific Northwest from the Cascadia Subduction Zone,” geologist Robert Yeats said in press statement.

“What you are seeing in Japan today is what you will also see in our future. Except they are better prepared than we are," added Yeats, of Oregon State University.

Northwestern's Stein agreed, telling National Geographic News, "At some point in the future, one will have to think about a similar scenario on the [Pacific] Northwest."

Source: National Geographic

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Tsunami hits north-eastern Japan after massive quake

Japanese television showed cars, ships and even buildings being swept away by a vast wall of water after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake.

The quake has sparked fires in several areas including Tokyo, and numerous casualties are feared.

It struck about 250 miles (400km) from the capital at a depth of 20 miles. There have been powerful aftershocks.

The tremor hit at 1446 local time (0546 GMT). Seismologists say it is one of the largest earthquakes to hit Japan for many years.

The tsunami warning was extended to the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Pacific coast of Russia and Hawaii.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the wave could extend as far as Chile.

Tsunami waves hit Japan's Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, officials said.

Japan's NHK television showed a massive surge of debris-filled water sweeping away buildings, cars and ships and reaching far inland.

The earthquake also triggered a number of fires, including one at an oil refinery in Ichihara city in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo, engulfing storage tanks.

There were reports of about 20 people injured in Tokyo after the roof of a hall collapsed on to a graduation ceremony.

Residents and workers in Tokyo rushed out of apartment buildings and office blocks and gathered in parks and open spaces as aftershocks continued to hit.

Bullet train services to northern Japan were halted, rapid transit in Tokyo was suspended and some nuclear power plants automatically shut down.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said there had been no radiation leaks.

In a televised address, he extended his sympathy to the victims of the disaster and said an emergency response headquarters had been set up.

He said the earthquake had a magnitude of 8.4 while the US Geological Survey said it measured 8.9.

Source: BBC.Com

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JAPAN MARKETS-Nikkei futures slide, yen dips after big quake

TOKYO, March 11 (Reuters) - Japanese stock futures plunged nearly 5 percent and the yen dipped on Friday after Japan was hit by a 8.9 magnitude earthquake that violently shook buildings in Tokyo and triggered a 10-metre tsunami.

The earthquake, which the U.S. Geological survey graded 8.9, took place shortly before regular trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended, disrupting trade at the very end of the day.

While the Tokyo and Osaka exchanges was open as usual for after-hours trading in bond and stock futures, phone lines were down across Tokyo, making it difficult to trade.

Before the quake struck, the Nikkei was down more than 1 percent and JGBs got a boost from the slide in Wall Street shares on Thursday.

"The phone was not working so we couldn't trade. I was lucky enough to have a long position so I didn't have to do anything. But to be honest, I was busy making phone calls to my family and I don't remember when cash bonds stopped trading," said a fund manager at a U.S. asset management firm in Tokyo.

The Bank of Japan vowed to ensure financial market stability and liquidity.

Osaka Nikkei stock index futures dropped 4.7 percent to as low as 9,950, the lowest since December 2010, before last trading at 10,010. The cash Nikkei ended down 1.7 percent at 10,254.

Ten-year Japanese government bond futures edged up 0.16 point to 139.36 in after-hours trade after having surged 0.66 point during the regular session. The 10-year yield fell 3 basis points to 1.270 percent.

"The markets are taking it very badly, but I would wait for a clearer picture to assess how bad it is," said Tim Condon, chief economist for Asia at ING in Singapore.

"It is still too early days to tell whether there will be continued selling in the stock markets. The construction sector might get a big boost out of this."

The yen dropped to session lows near 83.30 to the dollar before recovering back to 82.95, down only slightly from just before the quake

Traders noted that the yen surged after the 1995 Kobe earthquake due to Japanese repatriation of foreign assets.

Nikkei futures traded in Singapore were at 10,005 after having plunged as far as 9,950. (Additional reporting by Saikat Chatterjee in Hong Kong; Writing by Kevin Plumberg)

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Remember the 8 dead hostages, Aquino told

MANILA, Philippines – Several lawmakers on Tuesday took a dig at President Benigno Aquino III for his “kid’s glove” treatment of top officials responsible for the August 23 hostage-taking fiasco, reminding him to remember that eight people, all Hong Kong tourists, were killed in the incident.

The President should just have adopted the recommendations of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) and allowed the courts or appropriate body to do what it must on the case of the officials, they said.

“Malacanang's kid’s-glove treatment of those responsible in the August 23 hostage rescue blunder is another black eye for the government. It is an insult to the victims and the Filipino people who were put to shame by the ineptitude and incompetence of an amateur administration,” Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano said.

Minority Leader and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman questioned the exclusion of Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno and former Philippine National Police chief Jesus Versoza from the charges, while lesser officials were held accountable by the President.

“The death of eight foreign tourists due to the irresponsible handling of the crisis situation makes it hard to justify the President’s action to exculpate everyone involved from criminal negligence,” he said.

Lagman also scored Malacanang for keeping the portion on “recommendations” and “conclusions on responsibility,” which he said made the President’s ultimate action suspect from the start.

He urged the House committees on public order and safety and on good government to begin at once their inquiry into the matter to allow Congress make its own independent assessment of the incident.

Bayan Muna partylist Representative Teodoro Casino said the President should have just heeded the recommendation of the IIRC, headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

“Unfortunately, the President prejudged the criminal liabilities of those involved when he should have just allowed the fiscal’s office to conduct preliminary investigations and determine probable cause, as recommended by the IIRC,” he said.

By assuming the fiscal’s role, Casino said Aquino “prematurely shielded his friends,” Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Puno, “from potentially heavier liabilities that should have been decided by the public prosecutor.

Zambales Representative Ma. Milagros Magsaysay said the President’s decision on the IIRC report was a “slap” on De Lima, who worked hard in coming up with a report.

“PNoy (President Aquino) is doing exactly the same accusation to GMA (former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), which is coddling people in the official family who have done wrong or have been remiss in their duties,” she said.

Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara, chairman of the foreign relations committee, said the President should be prepared for the backlash for not heeding the decision of the IIRC.

“There will be a lot of reactions to that effect, that would be a slap on the face because he gave the commission the authority to investigate, and then he does not follow its recommendations. I’m sure there will be reactions to that and the President should be prepared for that, to justify whatever changes he introduced,” he said.

Asked if the changes that the President made on the IIRC report was acceptable to him, Bichara said, “They should have done the report themselves, instead of delegating it to the commission.”

The partylist Akbayan welcomed the filing of charges against several officials, but also expressed disappointment for absolving Puno and Versoza.

“We question a part of the recommendation that absolved two top officials despite the facts showing their imprudence and negligence over the incident. We hope that in the coming days the Office of the President will seriously reconsider some of these points,” the group said.

Deputy Speaker and Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tanada III said it remains a prerogative of the President to decide what to do with the IIRC report.

“I refer to the wisdom of the President, it’s his prerogative,” he said.

Quezon City Representative Winston Castelo said Aquino “exercised his presidential prerogative” in reviewing the IIRC report. “It’s not total rejection. The President considered substantially the IIRC findings whose mandate is only recommendatory,” Castelo said.

Kasangga partylist Representative Teodorico Haresco said Aquino did the right thing by not dragging everyone “into the entire mess.”

Haresco said the President should not be faulted for supporting Puno, saying he is in the best position to judge the people around him.

“Personally I cannot blame the President if he is sticking it out with Undersecretary Puno because he knows that at the end of the day, he can only count on his true and loyal friends who stuck it out with him through thick and thin. These proven loyalties are irreplaceable even at this time when everyone wants to be the president's friend,” he said.

Muntinlupa Representative Rodolfo Biazon said what happened was a lapse in judgment on the part of the officials in charge of the crisis situation.

What the government needs to do is “examine the allocation of responsibility and authority in handling crisis situations,” he added.

Source: Inquirer

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Magdalo soldiers welcome amnesty

MANILA, Philippines – The Magdalo group of soldiers involved in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny on Tuesday welcomed President Benigno Aquino III's grant of amnesty to soldiers charged with involvement in various failed coup attempts during the Arroyo administration.

"With humility and gratitude, nagpapasalamat kami kay President Noynoy Aquino for signing the amnesty proclamation. Sana'y magbigay daan ito sa bagong yugto ng aming mga buhay (With humility and gratitude, we thank President Aquino for signing the amnesty proclamation. We hope this will give way to a new chapter in our lives)," Magdalo Group spokesman 1st Lieutenant Ashley Acedillo said.

He added that over 300 soldiers would benefit from the amnesty signed by the Commander in Chief. Despite the granting of the amnesty, Acedillo said that

Magdalo soldiers would not stop their fight against corruption within the military institution.

"We will continue to wage our fight against corruption and irregularities, but we will do this in government service or in our private capacities," Acedillo said.

He added that among those that are expected to benefit from the signing of the amesty are the Magdalo soldiers who were involved in the Oakwood Mutiny led by detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and the Manila Peninsula siege.

Likewise, soldiers who were involved in the Marines stand-off at Fort Bonifacio, led by Colonel Ariel Querubin, are also included in the amnesty.

Meanwhile, AFP spokesman Brigadier General Jose Mabanta Jr. said that though the Commander in Chief has signed the amnesty, Congress has to concur before any of the soldiers will be released.

In a separate interview, AFP deputy spokesman Major Enrico Ileto said that a total of 101 officers and 185 enlisted personnel were initially charged before the military court for their alleged involvement in the Oakwood mutiny.

Of the 185 EPs, one remains on absence without leave while the rest pleaded guilty to lesser offense and were subsequently sentenced with either demotion or forfeiture of pay and confinement. The 184 EPs have been restored to full-duty status, Ileto added.

Of the 101 officers, six are still facing charges, namely Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Captain Nicanor Faeldon, 1st Lieutenant Warren Lee Dagupon, and 2nd Lieutenants Alquin Canson, Edwin Duetao and Junibert Tubo.

Charges against 11 others have been dropped for lack of sufficient evidence, while the remaining 84 pleaded guilty and were discharged from military service, Ileto said.

He added that in the Manila Peninsula siege in 2007, 12 officers and five enlisted personnel were charged in the military court but only two--Faeldon and Ret. Brigadier General Danilo Lim--remain on trial.

Likewise, nine out of the 29 officials initially tagged in the February 2006 Marines Standi-off remain facing charges, Ileto said.

Source: Inquirer

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Solons deny inflating pork barrel

MANILA, Philippines - Lawmakers denied they were able to wring from Malacanang a P50-million increase in their so-called pork barrel.

Several legislative districts will, in fact, be getting an equitable allocation of P50 million, they said.

Some representatives get P70 million annually in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), more than others.

Rep. Elpidio Barzaga (2nd District, Cavite) said most House members don’t have enough to cover for the needs of their respective districts.

He noted Reps. Danilo Ramon S. Fernandez (1st District, Laguna), Roman Romulo (Lone District, Pasig City) and Romero Quimbo (2nd District, Marikina City) even receive P5 million, P5 million and P1 million, respectively.

An equitable allocation was discussed during an all-member caucus on Friday afternoon.

The lawmakers, specifically the administration allies, allegedly threatened to delay the passing of the P1.64-trillion proposed budget for 2011 due to inequitable allotments in the PDAF. Thus, the Department of Budget and Management supposedly agreed to providing the congressional district an additional P50 million.

Rep. Janette L. Garin (1st District, Iloilo) agreed there was no discussion at all about increasing the PDAF allocations.

“The consensus was to allocate a minimum of P50-million per district, to be identified and implemented by the [Department of Public Works and Highways]. These include existing projects awaiting completion,” she added.

For his part, Rep. Cesar Sarmiento (Lone District, Catanduanes) explained the PDAF still remains at P70 million for some while the allocation for “those districts whose budget for road projects in the proposed GAA is lower than P50 million are increased to P50 million.”

“People would always put a bad connotation on the use of our so called pork barrel and demand for transparency on how it is spent. But what they do not know is that our constituents rely heavily on our allocations specially the soft projects. PDAF is not only focused on hard projects, it can be used in some other forms that would greatly benefit a lot of people in our districts,” Barzaga said.

He said the PDAF is also used for other projects such as school buildings, multi-purpose buildings, medical assistance, financial assistance for those who are in need, etc.

He stressed that lawmakers do not have any say on the release of the PDAF allocations.

A congressman is limited to identifying the priority projects in his district, he cited for example. The government agency where the PDAF budget was allocated will then get to implement the project, he explained.

Source: ABS-CBN news

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Senators close down Lacson’s office

MANILA, Philippines—Mounting pressure from the Commission on Audit (COA) has forced the Senate leadership to close the office of fugitive Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Lacson’s colleagues arrived at the decision in an emergency caucus in the middle of their session last Wednesday, according to one senator, who asked not to be identified. “It was unanimous,” he told the Inquirer.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile gathered senators that afternoon after he learned that the COA was poised to question disbursements made by Lacson’s office without the fugitive lawmaker’s certification.

The COA apparently needed Lacson to personally certify expenses culled from budget items such as the maintenance and other operating expenses and capital outlay under his office.

Lacson fled the country early this year before the court could issue an arrest warrant against him in connection with the murder of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000.

Lacson denied involvement in the killing and alleged that the previous administration of President Macapagal-Arroyo was out to persecute him. He is yet to return despite the change in leadership.

Sought for comment, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said there was “no politics involved” in the Senate’s decision to close Lacson’s office and withdraw its funding.

“This is nothing personal,” he said in a phone interview.

During the caucus, the Inquirer informant said one senator even suggested that the Senate “declare abandonment” in the case of the missing Lacson. But the majority prevailed with the sentiment that such a move would be “too harsh.”

“The best recourse was to stop his office and let the Senate secretariat absorb his employees—around 20 of them—so they won’t lose their jobs,” the source said.

The source said senators were also open to reopening Lacson’s office once he returns to the country to face the criminal charges against him.

Source: Inquirer

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Nueva Ecija Town Vice Mayor Shot Dead

Gunmen shot dead yesterday morning the incumbent vice mayor of a Nueva Ecija town, the latest of the spate of killings involving government officials in the country in this month alone.

Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Licab, Nueva Ecija Vice Mayor Luisito Caraang died in a nearby hospital after sustaining at least two bullet wounds.

Caraang was reportedly jogging at the vicinity of Barangay San Casimiro at around 5 a.m. when motorcycle-riding gunmen shot him from behind.

Cruz said investigation is still being conducted to determine the motive and identify the perpetrators.

Senior Insp. Danilo Eduardo, Licab town’s chief of police, said they are looking at several angles in their investigation of the killing.

It was reported that the vice mayor had not mentioned receiving any death threat before he was gunned down.

Upon learning of the incident, Nueva Ecija provincial police director Senior Supt. Roberto Aliggayu ordered a police hot pursuit operation against the escaping suspects.

The lawmen also established checkpoints in the possible escape routes of the gunmen.

To hasten the investigation of the incident, Aliggayu organized a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Caraang,” which composed of different police units in the province.

Caraang was the latest victim of assassinations in the country in the past days.

Last week, an election officer of Tuburan, Basilan was gunned down followed by a barangay captain in Sultan Kudarat.

On Monday, a judge was shot dead in Ilocos Sur while a municipal treasurer was killed in Ilocos Norte on the same day.

Another election officer was wounded along with two other companions when they were ambushed in Lanao del Norte.

The spate of killings prompted the PNP leadership to intensify the campaign against loose firearms, which are the ones used in killings, through the checkpoints being conducted over the implementation of the nationwide gun ban for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 25.

Source: MB dot Com

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Puno says Aquino asked him to stay

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has asked beleaguered Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno "to continue" despite being embroiled in two major controversies.

Puno was not only implicated for his alleged involvement in illegal numbers game jueteng but he may also be held liable for his handling of the bungled August 23 hostage-taking that left eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage-taker, a dismissed police officer, dead.

To spare the President from these controversies, Puno had offered a courtesy resignation when Aquino was in the United States.

Asked if he had pursued it to the President, Puno said, "I was about to pero sinabihan ako ng Presidente to continue e (but I was told by the President to continue)."

"Hindi na nga ako nakapagsabi sa kanya e (In fact, I was not able to tell that to him)," he said when pressed by reporters after testifying at the Senate on the jueteng controversy.

Puno refused to comment, however, on the reported statement of the President that cases would be filed against him for the botched hostage rescue.

"Hindi ko pa nababasa. Wala pa namang nilalabas eh (I haven’t read it. There is no order yet)," he said, "I have to see it first, my lawyers have to see the final report."

Source: Inquirer

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Aquino seeks dialogue with Catholic bishops

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is seeking a dialogue with Catholic bishops and other religious leaders on the Reproductive Health (RH) bill even as he stands firm on his position that Filipino couples must be free to choose the way to manage their families but must exercise responsible parenthood.

“The state has an obligation to educate all of its citizens as to their choices. The state was not empowered by any law to dictate upon any couple how they should plan their family,” Mr. Aquino told reporters in an ambush interview at the President Corazon C. Aquino High School in Baseco, Tondo where he distributed Philippine Health Insurance cards to residents.

Many Catholic bishops have criticized the decision of the government to distribute contraceptives and educate couples both on artificial and natural birth control methods.

Some Muslim religious leaders have also voiced opposition to a state-sanctioned family planning program stipulated in the RH bill. The issue came to a head when some influential bishops even threatened to call for civil disobedience to compel the President to soften his stand.

Mr. Aquino said that while he has not yet closely examined the new RH bill, “my stand has not changed” since the campaign.

But he said his and the bishops’ opposing views on family planning might only have been blown out of proportion. He disclosed he had met with a few bishops for a dialogue and would set another one with as many of them as possible.

“This issue is really inflammatory. But I suppose that if we are really looking for order and a so-called consensus by having the respective positions clarified, why shouldn’t we achieve that?” he said.

Mr. Aquino said that when he was still a lawmaker and also during the campaign, he had batted for changes in some of the provisions of the RH bill. He also stressed he was against abortion.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said that while Mr. Aquino’s stand on the issue had angered some prelates, it had not given up on dialogue as a means to resolve the issue.

Mr. Aquino said the details of the proposed dialogue with the bishops were still being worked out.

Bill’s prospect bright

Despite the Catholic Church’s stand, House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said he expects the RH bill to finally breeze through both chambers of Congress, considering the strong support it enjoys from Mr. Aquino and the House leadership.

“The support of President Aquino and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. ensures the early passage of the RH bill,” Lagman told reporters during the weekly Kapihan sa Sulo Hotel forum in Quezon City.

Lagman is the principal author of the re-filed version of House Bill 96 also known as the “Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2010.”

The House minority leader said Mr. Aquino’s firm stand on the RH bill would be one of the issues that they would consider in assessing his first 100 days in office.

“It (RH bill support) will mitigate the initial setback of the Aquino administration,” he said.

Lagman also appealed to the Catholic Church to focus on saving souls and leave the task of saving the lives of women and children in the country to the government.

He said that when the first version of the RH bill was filed in the 11th Congress in 1999, the population of the Philippines was only 75 million. The Philippines is now the 12th most populous country in the world with a population of 94.3 million. He said that in a decade, the country’s annual population growth has averaged two million.

“It must be underscored, however, that reproductive health goes beyond a demographic target because it is principally about the right to health and sustainable human development,” Lagman said.

He said the bill’s beneficiaries are the poorest of the poor, particularly women.

“The heart of the bill is freedom of informed choice. Neither the state nor the Church has the authority to compel the people or the faithful what family planning method to adopt. The choice belongs to parents, couples, particularly to women who have the inherent right over the their bodies,” Lagman said.

Condoms or incentives

Instead of giving condoms and contraceptives to married couples, why not give them incentives to plan small families?

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone made the suggestion yesterday to “reframe” the acrimonious debate on reproductive health and population control.

He said instead of enacting a law on population management and angering the Catholic Church, Congress could give incentives to parents with no more than four children.

“These could be in the form of an income tax discount or free education in a state college or university for some or all of the children,” he said.

“We could come up with a menu of other offers that could encourage couples to have small families. Anchoring an acceptable or middle-ground policy on population control based on incentives may not entirely please the bishops, but it is a good starting point, a fresh approach,” he said.

Earlier, Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said there is no need for a law on reproductive health to control the country’s population.

“Why do we have to legislate population management when in fact, even without it, our people have always been free to do what they think is best for their family? I think it’s best that we just leave it that way and let our people choose what they want,” he said.

“It’s not illegal to use condom so why waste time and people’s money just to make a law that encourages the use of condom? It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

He said such a law, if enacted, would only enrich manufacturers of condom and other contraceptives.

Nograles lamented that the reproductive health issue has unnecessarily involved not only Congress but the entire nation as well.

He called discussions in the House of Representatives on the RH bill a waste of time.

He said Belmonte himself, even if he is for reproductive health, is not sure about the result of any vote on the RH bill.

“He promised to have it discussed extensively and voted on, but that he would leave the matter to everyone’s conscience,” he added.

He warned RH bill proponents not to underestimate the power and influence of the Catholic Church in lobbying against the measure.

He noted that even though the majority of House members supported the bill in the last Congress, many of them wilted under pressure from Church leaders and Church-based organizations.

Nograles’ father, former Speaker Prospero Nograles, had tried but inexplicably failed to have the RH bill debated in the plenary.

In September last year, he even wrote a confidential memo to House leaders setting a timetable for plenary discussions and voting.

In the final debate, only three speakers on each side would be allowed, and then the voting. Nograles’ plan did not materialize.

Miriam’s appeal

Meanwhile, Sen. Miriam Santiago has appealed to CBCP president Bishop Nereo Odchimar to “discard excommunication as a response to reproductive health bills pending in Congress.”

“If I were to be excommunicated, I would be expelled from the Church, more particularly from the Eucharist. I would thus be placed in the same category as those guilty of so-called serious sins, such as apostasy, murder, heresy, and adultery,” Santiago said in a letter to Odchimar dated Oct.1.

Earlier, Odchimar was quoted in news reports as having threatened Mr. Aquino with excommunication for his “pro-choice” stand. The CBCP later clarified that it has never issued such a threat.

“I plead that I am not guilty of mortal sin, defined in our Church as a fundamental rejection of God, and the reorientation of one’s whole life away from all that is good and just. On the contrary, I am a strong advocate of social justice, particularly the anticorruption crusade,” Santiago said.

“May I respectfully submit that the penalty of excommunication for pro-RH (reproductive health) legislators, who are merely exercising the preferential option for the poor under liberation theology, would be too extreme and disproportionate. It will raise constitutional issues about church-state relationship,” she added.

She also said that she is “humbly but morally convinced that the arguments for contraception are superior.”

Source: PhilSTAR

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