The Philippine Supreme Court has upheld a law obliging the government to offer contraception to poor Filipinos. Members of the Roman Catholic church had asked the court to throw out the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act. The church, to which four-fifths of Filipinos profess to belong, prohibits contraception. In backing the essential provisions of the act, the court has not only removed an obstacle to the government’s efforts to reduce poverty. At a stroke, it has also dispelled a long-held tenet among politicians in the Philippines that the church wields decisive political influence. econ.st/1iLiYkc
Posted on: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 01:00:00 +0000