By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 17:07:00 09/18/2009

MANILA, Philippines—Defense Secretary Gilberto Toedoro stood pat on his pro-reproductive health bill position, despite fears of losing the support of the church.

“Ay syempre takot ako pero yun ang paniniwala ko anong magagawa ko (Of course I’m afraid but that’s my belief so what can I do)?” Teodoro told reporters when asked about his stand on the bill.

“Takot na takot talaga ko pero ang laban ng simbahan ay dapat sa kaluluwa natin, sa panalangin (I am very afraid but the church’s fight is over our souls, in our prayers) and our spiritual and moral formation. That's the challenge but not through a law, not through a governmental action,” he said.

Teodoro said he is for freedom of informed choice but against abortion and “enforced belief” that contraception is bad.

The state, he said, should not adopt the view of any particular religion.

“The state should be non-religious, non sectarian. It should give opportunities to all those based on what they personally believe,” he said.

“The advocacy of the Church is important, very important but that is a matter for an individual conscience and own soul, that is not a matter of government enforcement,” he further said.

Senator Rodolfo Biazon, principal author of the bill in the Senate, was also unfazed by the Catholic Church's threat to campaign against those supporting the measure.

Biazon said the Church campaigned against him in 2004 “and yet I'm here.”

He said he is ready to lose that support again but would not abandon his advocacy.