Mindanaotoday.com | Religious groups in Mindanao calls on gov’t to junk SB 1869
By: Franck Dick Rosete
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Several religious groups in Mindanao recently staged protests in Cagayan de Oro, calling on the national government to junk Senate Bill (SB) No. 1869, also known as the “Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) Act.”
Pastor Alcherie Patino, spokesperson of the Arise People of Revelation (APRO), said once the bill becomes law, people would no longer have the freedom to refuse immunization and treatment in case of public health emergencies, regardless of their health condition and religion, as stated in Article 5, Section 13.
“In our time now, we have the right to choose what kind of treatment we want to apply to our illness. Once the bill becomes law, we can no longer use our rights,” Patino said in a mix of English and vernacular in an interview on Sunday, March 26.
She also cited the provision under Article 6, under Section 20 of the bill, where it stated that people who are authorized and involved in public health emergency response shall be immune from suit and liability under Philippine laws, which she called “unfair” that people cannot voice out if there’s an adverse effect.
The religious groups also strongly opposed the provision in Article 4, under Section 11 of the bill, which states the request for assistance of the Philippine National Police (PNP) or the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to locate any patients or persons suspected of contracting a communicable disease.
“This is a direct assault on our human rights,” Patino stressed, adding that the provision under Article 5, Section 13, where the National Telecommunications Commission and any telecommunications entity shall provide location information of patients or persons suspected of contracting a disease could also curtail the data privacy of an individual.
Jojo Tejano of the Christian Alliance for Covid-Resilience Philippines said the government should focus on improving the health system instead of passing the Senate bill.
“What we really need at the grassroots level is to have available hospitals in every city, municipality, and province,” he said in a separate phone interview on March 25.
Patino called on Mindanaoan senators, specifically Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, to consider their concerns. There were around 5–6 senators, she said, who had already opened their doors to listen to the groups’ call.
Among the activities conducted by the groups on March 24 were a prayer rally in Golden Friendship Park in Divisoria here, where the signing of a unified position paper was initiated, and a concert crusade.
Apart from the activity conducted in this city, the APOR and other religious groups are also part of the Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDC PH) and other groups of lawyers in Manila that help them immediately raise their concern to the Senators.
If the bill becomes law, she said, they will file to the Supreme Court. If it’s not effective, they will conduct a protest walk from Cagayan de Oro to the Senate House in Manila.
As of this writing, the current legislative status of the said bill is “pending second reading,” according to the official website of the Senate of the Philippines. (MT)
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