Few realize that many of the rights and social conveniences that modern Western states and their citizens now enjoy are a product of two things: long, hard struggle, as well as a popular momentum that rendered their implementation inevitable. Inalienable rights—the cornerstone of modern human rights—is one of these. Emancipation is another. Women’s suffrage. Unionization. The freedom to assembly. These are things that have been bought and paid for in blood.
The RH bill, which has struggled to find itself a home in the laws of power, is drawn from the same stock as these venerable, yet often underestimated rights. I mentioned that their commonality stems at least in part from a popular momentum; that their entry into society is a question of if and not when. While I don’t claim that this factor is one shared by all the foundations of modern democratic law, it is common enough that it bears mentioning.
I say “inevitable” only because in a progressive and reasonably free society where power is ultimately derived from its people (and make no mistake: we are one such state despite our eternal pessimism and distrust of the people in power), such stirrings eventually reach a boiling point. The Filipino people have continually expressed their desire to have the RH bill passed, and the latest Pulse Asia survey puts it at 69 percent agreeing, and 24 percent undecided. I would not be surprised to learn that the next numbers show a growth in this regard. President Noynoy has made no secret of his intent to continue to allow contraceptives while not expressly condoning them. While this is a decidedly middle-of-the-road approach, it is perhaps the best we can get from a man in an office as high as his. Even the Pope sees the allowance of condom use in certain circumstances. Majority spills over. It infects. Consensus is self-correcting. Human nature has consistently proven itself so.
However, this is not in any way an excuse or license for the citizenry to slack around. As I said, the other common factor is that of a struggle. The concept of inalienable rights (in its recognizable modern form, anyway) came from the struggles of the French Revolution, and it took the price of many men to create the eight hour workday and the minimum wage. So too, will the RH bill require the active participation of its concerned promoters to see it through to completion. While it may not be as dramatic (nor, thankfully, as lethal) as the events I compare it to, it will exact just as hard a toll on the minds and souls of those involved.
The clear idea we can establish here is that the RH bill can and will be passed. In fact, the present factors dictate that it has no choice but to be passed. The social, economic, and political fallout is too great for it not to be so. The only question is, how fast can we take this? It’s up to the struggle of every concerned citizen to improve that time as much as possible.
I say “inevitable” only because in a progressive and reasonably free society where power is ultimately derived from its people (and make no mistake: we are one such state despite our eternal pessimism and distrust of the people in power), such stirrings eventually reach a boiling point. The Filipino people have continually expressed their desire to have the RH bill passed, and the latest Pulse Asia survey puts it at 69 percent agreeing, and 24 percent undecided. I would not be surprised to learn that the next numbers show a growth in this regard. President Noynoy has made no secret of his intent to continue to allow contraceptives while not expressly condoning them. While this is a decidedly middle-of-the-road approach, it is perhaps the best we can get from a man in an office as high as his. Even the Pope sees the allowance of condom use in certain circumstances. Majority spills over. It infects. Consensus is self-correcting. Human nature has consistently proven itself so.
However, this is not in any way an excuse or license for the citizenry to slack around. As I said, the other common factor is that of a struggle. The concept of inalienable rights (in its recognizable modern form, anyway) came from the struggles of the French Revolution, and it took the price of many men to create the eight hour workday and the minimum wage. So too, will the RH bill require the active participation of its concerned promoters to see it through to completion. While it may not be as dramatic (nor, thankfully, as lethal) as the events I compare it to, it will exact just as hard a toll on the minds and souls of those involved.
The clear idea we can establish here is that the RH bill can and will be passed. In fact, the present factors dictate that it has no choice but to be passed. The social, economic, and political fallout is too great for it not to be so. The only question is, how fast can we take this? It’s up to the struggle of every concerned citizen to improve that time as much as possible.