JOHN SMEATON, DIRECTOR OF SPUC: Easter Sunday gift to unborn children in The Philippines

Thursday, 21 March 2013

Easter Sunday gift to unborn children in The Philippines

Francisco "Kit" Tatad
former head of the Philippines senate
& International Right to Life Federation
board member

I welcome today's news of a temporary halt to anti-life legislation in The Philippines. Any check on the pro-abortion lobby, as they seek to trample on nations like Ireland and The Philippines where the people have historically striven to protect unborn children, is a very good thing and is prophetic of more good things to come, with the help of God.

The news comes from Brad Mattes, president of International Right to Life Federation (IRLF) - an organization of which I have the honour to be joint vice-president alongside my colleague, Jim Hughes, the President of Campaign Life Coalition in Canada.

International Right to Life Federation reports:

Pro-life advocates enjoyed an important victory when the Supreme Court of the Philippines put a temporary hold to enacting the anti-life Reproductive Health Law. The legislation had been scheduled to take effect on Easter Sunday, 31 March. However, several constitutional challenges arose. This controversial Reproductive Health Law has been met with strong opposition due to its inclusion of abortifacients. In a 10-5 vote, a 120-day stay was given pending oral arguments slated for 18 June.

Brad Mattes commended the decision saying:

“This is a positive move in respect for life. It is my hope that this temporary hold becomes permanent, thereby protecting the lives of vulnerable women and children in the Philippines.”

Pray for the beautiful Filipino people. I have been privileged to have been invited to speak about abortion in the Philippines on four occasions and I have often written about the relentless pressures brought to bear by the international pro-abortion lobby to impose extreme population control measures on this family-loving country.

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About Me

I became involved in SPUC after graduating, when I established a branch in south London in 1974. I have worked full-time for SPUC for 42 years. I became chief executive of SPUC in the UK in 1996, having been general secretary since 1978. I was elected vice-president of International Right to Life Federation in 2005. At UN conferences in Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing, Istanbul and Rome, I helped coordinate more than 150 pro-life/pro-family groups resulting in pro-life victories in Cairo, Istanbul and Rome. I was educated at Salesian College, London, before going to Oxford where I graduated in English Language and Literature. I qualified as a teacher, becoming head of English at a secondary school. I am married to Josephine. We have a grown-up family and we live in north London.