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MANILA, Philippines, April 8, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Philippine Supreme Court today upheld the country’s controversial Reproductive Health Law, which was strongly opposed by pro-life groups and the country’s bishops because it violated the clear language protecting life and family in the country’s constitution.

The Filipino bishops’ conference says the ruling was not a complete loss, however, because the court threw out several key sections.

It rejected Section 7, which required health facilities owned by religious groups to provide “family planning” methods. The court also disallowed contraceptives that may cause or induce abortion and affirmed conscience rights for health care providers who refuse to perform services in the area of “reproductive health.”

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“Although the Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the RH law, it has truly watered down the RH law and consequently upheld the importance of adhering to an informed religious conscience even among government workers,” Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said.

“It has also stood on the side of the rights of parents to teach their children,” he added.

“For me it’s a partial, but a major victory nonetheless,” said Father Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life in a press release. “So what happened today was not a failure. It was not a lost cause after all.”

“If only that we are happy, but [it is] still [a] partial [victory] because the P13 billion budget and the basic idea of imposition of RH is there but I’m glad that the conscientious objection was upheld,” Castro added.

Villegas said the Catholic bishops are encouraging the faithful to maintain respect for the Supreme Court and its decision based on existing laws in the Philippines.

While the Church “cannot see eye-to-eye” with the proponents and supporters of the RH law, Archbishop Villegas said, “We can work hand-in-hand for the good of the country.”

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“The Church must continue to uphold the sacredness of human life, to teach always the dignity of the human person and to safeguard the life of every human person from conception to natural death,” he said.

Archbishop Villegas said the Church must pursue its teachings on what is right and moral and continue to proclaim the “beauty and holiness of every human person.”

Through two thousand years, he noted, the Church has lived in eras of persecution, authoritarian regimes, wars and revolutions. “The Church can continue its mission even with such unjust laws,” said the archbishop.

“Let us move on from being an RH-law-reactionary-group to a truly Spirit empowered disciples of the Gospel of life and love. We have a positive message to proclaim,” he stated.

Human Life International President Father Shenan Boquet expressed great sadness and disappointment over the Supreme Court ruling.

“The real ‘losers’ in this decision are not the pro-life groups or the Catholic Church – which have been demonized throughout the entire debate over this law – but the Filipino people and their life-loving culture. It is women and children and the basic institution of the family that will suffer because of the implementation of this law,” Fr. Boquet said in a press release.

“The champions of the RH Law – which only passed in the first place because of the corruption of the political system and those in power – said it was necessary to control the population to curb poverty,” Fr. Boquet pointed out.

“They said it was necessary to advance ‘reproductive rights.’ And they said the Catholic Church and pro-life leaders were standing in the way of ‘progress.’ These were all deceptions used to push through a massive population control agenda that will one day lead to legalized abortion-on-demand in the Philippines.”

“It breaks my heart that this is happening in such a strongly pro-life and Catholic country that has thus far been able to resist legalized abortion,” said Fr. Boquet.

“Today’s Court ruling is a great setback, but we will never lose hope, and will continue to fight the battle to defend life and family in this great country. This is an unjust law, and this ruling will not change Human Life International’s commitment to defending every human life from the moment of conception,” Fr. Boquet concluded.