MANILA, Philippines - A Bicol-based priest voiced alarm over a survey conducted in a public high school in Camarines Norte where students were asked to "choose" between government or Church family planning.
Daet diocese social communications director Fr. Ernesto Corre said the students were asked whether they favor government or the Church's family planning methods.
"Asking school children the question reflects the fact that the right moral values are not being properly conveyed to them in the classrooms," he said in a statement on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines website.
He did not give further details about the supposed survey, but said this smacks of "poisoning" the young minds of high school students.
"With this scenario, it appears that the young minds of the students are already being poisoned by the bias on the issue which some [people] in government promote nowadays," he said.
Corre said government should look deeply into the root cause of population problem and act on it instead of providing mere band-aid solutions.
He branded the controversial population control bill pending in the House of Representatives as a "band-aid" solution that even threatens morality.
"Government should look at the population problem in the country by considering its root cause and not merely bank on quick solutions which border on immorality and are unacceptable to most Christians such as the artificial family planning methods which it pushes," he said.
Also, he said government has not explored all possible solutions to the problem including proper education to most couples on the subject matter.
"The poverty experienced by the majority of our people has deprived them of the chance to think of what is right while government offers artificial family planning methods seemingly as a 'quick' solution to the problem," he said.
The Commission on Family Life in the diocese now handles the program which emphasizes the value of life and the immorality of abortion.
On the other hand, he rejected the call of some lawmakers saying that the Church should not meddle in this issue.
He said the Church "cannot be silent on this matter especially that it touches on the issue of morality."
Corre likewise refuted accusations that the Church is not really concerned with the ever-increasing population in the country.
He noted there are Social Action Centers in every diocese and they were established to address the material needs of the poor.
"The Church pursues activities which enhance livelihood opportunities for the marginal income earners. It is sad to note that some politicians, just to be able to get votes claim before the people that they own some of these projects despite their having been initiated by the Church," he said. - GMANews.TV