By now, everyone has heard of the 14 Loyola Schools professors who publicly announced their support for House Bill No. 5043, known as the Reproductive Health Bill. Titled “Catholics can support the RH Bill in Good Conscience,” the 16-page position paper states that the bill’s provisions are within the Catholic Church’s social teachings.
Sparking controversy mainly for promoting contraceptives and imposing sex education in students as young as Grade 5, the bill was labeled by Catholic bishops as pro-abortion and anti-life. The faculty members, however, argued that the bill is actually pro-life, pro-women, and pro-poor.
Amidst the media attention the paper attracted, University President Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ set the record straight regarding AdMU’s stand on the RH Bill. In his reply to Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Angel Lagdameo’s request for clarification of the university’s stand, Nebres stated that the faculty members had emphasized that their stand spoke for themselves alone and that the Ateneo stands with church leaders in their opposition to the bill. But who is “the Ateneo” in this statement, exactly?
While the statement voiced out the administration’s opinion on the matter, it does not speak for everyone in the community. Right now, a petition, launched by a group of Ateneo students and alumna, is making the rounds online. As of press time, 170 have already signed in agreement with the Ateneo professors’ stand.
It may be a relatively small number but there’s a possibility of it growing over time. If that happens, would the stand of “the Ateneo” still be legitimate if majority of the community starts supports the bill despite the administration opposing it? As of press time, 66 Ateneo faculty members coming from various departments–from the department of Philosophy to the department of Modern Languages–have signed a declaration supporting the passage of the RH Bill.
It is commendable that various fora concerning the RH bill have been conducted recently, showing the university’s openness to dialogue. Being united over such a controversial topic has posed great difficulties, but the mere fact that people have no qualms in sticking to their principles says a lot about Ateneans and the values they uphold. Obviously, opinions can’t be forced onto one another. As a Jesuit and Catholic University, the Ateneo has addressed the issue in a different way–by allowing us the power of information and free speech.
The Ateneo has become a venue for healthy dialogue through these efforts, shedding light on the pros and cons of the issue. It is reflective of the Ateneo’s progressiveness as an institution, judging by the fact that members of the community would not restrict themselves to the official stand. Ironically, the bill that was to divide the university has somehow brought us together–a community of dialogue.
