MANILA, June 7, 2011—Songs, prayers and personal testimonies kept the air joyfully prayerful during the vigil held Monday night at the Payatas Park, right across the House of Representatives Main Gate in Quezon City.
The prayer vigil, organized by Pro-Life Philippines and Soldiers of Christ Catholic Charismatic Community, gathered some 3,000 who stayed for the six-hour event which included a Eucharistic celebration led by Bishop Teodoro Bacani.
Three women gave their personal testimonies of overcoming extreme hardship through faith. Two experienced healing and transformation after battling a serious illness and the death of a child.
The other woman shared her experience of having “five” induced abortions—besides having two of her own babies aborted by a midwife, she accompanied two other women to the midwife to have their babies aborted.
The experience she counts as her “fifth abortion” was one that she herself performed on another woman. Though not a professional midwife/medical practitioner, she said she was able to carry out the procedure from watching it done on herself and the two other women.
She felt the beginning of a spiritual transformation after experiencing illness and death in the family, among other gravely difficult situations.
Pro-Life Media and Legislative Liason Officer Lito David talked to the crowd of 3,000 afterwards and shed light on the mistaken notion that the Reproductive Health (RH) bill is pro-women and pro-poor.
“How can it be pro-women when women end up getting sick because of artificial contraceptives [which the bill pushes]?” he said.
“How can it be pro-poor when nagsalita na ang isa sa mga sumusuporta dito na depopulation talaga ang kasama dito? That it’s really the depopulation of the poor people that is among the objectives, so that no more people who become ‘beggars and scavengers’ will be born—that we should produce only ‘quality people’?”
Interpersed with the talk, testimonies and the holy mass were more worship services which included spirited singing, dancing and vocal prayers.
“The people were very lively the whole night. It was Brother Ting Arcadio, the founder and Head Servant of Soldiers of Christ, who led the worship services. I think it was past 3 in the morning already when people started to leave,” David related.
According to David, the purpose of the vigil was to pray for Congressmen and to show the people’s support for the pro-life solons in opposing the RH bill.
“It was also to pray for the entire Congress, not just for the anti-RH Congressmen. That’s why the vigil was held right there across the House; the members of Soldiers of Christ believe that by praying for the institution itself, it will be cleansed. And that those who are for the bill will change their minds,” David explained. (Diana Uichanco)
