MANILA - The reproductive health hearing at the Supreme Court on Tuesday became heated when an Associate Justice likened government's intentions to the Holocaust. Associate Justice Roberto Abad questioned the credibility of the 24 Filipino scientists who declared that contraceptives are safe to use. Abad also questioned the integrity of the World Health Organization (WHO) in saying contraceptives are not for abortion. He said the WHO has announced that it is also in the process of developing contraceptives. But things got heated when Abad asked if the government wanted to lessen the number of poor people by giving them contraceptives, much like Adolf Hitler and the Nazis targeted the Jews during the Holocaust. Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza would have none of it. "We all have the right to disagree, but with all due respect, yung tawagin namang Hitler yung ginagawa ng gobyerno, with all due respect, hindi naman tama," he said. The oral arguments will resume on August 13. Mornings@ANC, August 7, 2013
