The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said they would talk to congressmen individually to lobby against the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, reports Manila Times.

Fr. Melvin Castro, the executive secretary of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, says they have received reports of old-timer congressmen and pro-RH Bill organizations inviting neophyte lawmakers to a seminar somewhere in Central Luzon to convince them to support the RH Bill, according to The Philippine Star. Castro added, "These lobby groups have lots of money and they can afford the legislators. They promise them a lot of things just to get their support  We appeal to these congressmen and congresswomen; it is okay if they just want to listen but in the end let them follow their conscience and the Filipino culture."

In the Manila Times report, Castro said they would ask congressmen to support House Bill 13 titled "Protection of the Unborn Child Act 2010" which Catholic bishops believe would nullify the RH Bill. The bill "leaves artificial contraception out of the scene" and puts the responsibility of teaching sex education to children on their respective parents, instead of the government as the RH Bill seeks.

Reacting to the recent call of pro-choice advocates to legalize abortion in the Philippines, Castro said legalizing abortion is unconstitutional. "This is a challenge especially to the proponents of the RH Bill. They have been pushing for the advance of contraception and reproductive health without abortion. Well, now we are challenging them. If it is true that they are against abortion, they should reject the legalization of abortion and reject the RH Bill," he said in a report by The Philippine Star.

For more on this story, log on to ManilaTimes.net and PhilStar.com.