Jinkee is anti-RH too, Pacquiao says

source: gmanews.tv

Pinoy boxing champion Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday insisted that everyone in his family was against the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, including his wife Jinkee.

The Sarangani lawmaker made the clarification a day after the pro-RH group Filipino Free Thinkers pointed out that his anti-RH stance ran contrary to that of his wife, who was quoted in a Philippine Star article in January as saying she used pills after the birth of their fourth child, Queenie.

"Hindi naman. Anti-RH Bill din siya [Not necessarily. My wife is also anti-RH Bill]," Pacquiao stressed during the sidelines of the taping for GMA News TV's "RH Bill: The Grand Debate."

Asked to confirm if his wife indeed turned to contraceptives to control the size of their family, Pacquiao said, "Noon iyon. Pero ngayon hindi na [That was in the past, but now she no longer does that]."

Pacquiao is making a special appearance on the "Grand Debate" with a two-minute speech explaining why he is opposing the controversial measure.

The special presentation is airing on May 22, Sunday, on GMA News TV.

Earlier Tuesday, Pacquiao was a guest at a luncheon hosted by religious officials at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines in Manila.

During the lunch-meeting, Pacquiao discouraged anti-RH Filipinos from a planned tax boycott as a form of protest. Pro-life groups have argued that government funds should be channeled to other programs and not be used to subsidize the purchase of contraceptives.

“Kung hindi tayo magbabayad ng tax kawawa ang gobyerno lalo," Pacquiao said. “Magbayad tayo ng tax."

Pacquiao clarified that his opposition to the controversial measure does not mean he is opposing the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, who has openly expressed his support for the bill.

"Hindi nangangahulugan kinokontra ko ang administrasyon o kinokontra ko siya (Just because I am against the RH bill does not mean I am against him or his administration)," Pacquiao said.

Grand debate on GMA News TV

The anti-RH Bill debaters featured in the May 22 show are retired Manila bishop Teodoro Bacani, Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, and Aliza Racelis, professor at the University of the Philippines' College of Business Administration.

Asked to comment on Pacquiao's objection to the bill, Bacani said: "We are happy with that. Iyon ay makakatulong sa masa [His statement of support for the anti-RH bill movement would greatly help the masses]."

Pro-RH bill debaters consisted of the legislation’s primary author Rep. Janette Garin, Francis Magalona's widow Pia Arroyo-Magalona, and Bishop Efraim M. Tendero.

The program includes a panel of "interrogators" who are tasked to grill debaters from the opposing side.

The interrogators from the pro-RH bill camp are former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros, celebrity tour guide Carlos Celdran, and University of the Philippines Prof. Dr. Sylvia Claudio.

On the anti-RH panel of interrogators are Dean Campo-Cruz, chief of clinics at the Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation; Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr. and; Antonio Jose Torralba, dean of the University of Asia and the Pacific's College of Arts and Sciences – YA, GMA News

source: gmanews.tv