Manila: The Catholic Church has launched a red ribbon campaign to protest the passage of a health bill that will allow government to subsidise artificial birth control methods.
The church urged Filipinos to wear red, tie red ribbons in front of their homes and offices and display red stickers on their cars as a form of protest.
"Red symbolises life. It's natural for us to declare an all-out war against the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. We should persist [in campaigning] against it and educate the people against the legislative measure," said Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa.
The campaign, launched by the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), will raise awareness on the real essence of the bill, Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Cotabato, in the southern Philippines, said.
Warning of a weekly campaign, CBCP secretary-general Juanito Figura said: "The church will continue to air its views and sentiments against the bill, not in dialogue but [from behind] pulpits and during homilies. Part of the mission of the church is to teach in season and out of season on the sanctity of life."
National colours
People against the bill could also wear blue or white shirts, colours found on the Philippine flag, together with red, Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos of Butuan said. The choice of colours points to the Catholic Church believing the majority of Filipinos are on its side.
The church's show of force was intensified on the eve of a pro-life campaign called "Jericho Ride Caravan for Life" procession in Cebu, central Philippines, on Friday.
Candle lighting
The procession will include a candle-lighting ceremony in all Catholic churches in Cebu City.
"We will also speak against [the House Bill 4244] if necessary," Figura said, in reference to President Benigno Aquino's campaign to push for a responsible parenthood programme.
Earlier, Aquino said he would implement his own version of the controversial Reproductive Health Bill, in an effort to pacify the Catholic bishops who have been holding talks with him for several months.
The CBCP said that talks with Aquino had ended.
When asked if the Catholic Church's "red campaign" was targetting Aquino, Figura said: "We are talking of issues here, not of personalities."
