Philippine Catholic bishops call for total ban on condom ads

Mar 3, 2010, 10:26 GMT

Manila - Philippine Catholic bishops Wednesday called for a total ban on condom advertisements after the health department vowed to step up promotion of their use to fight the spread of AIDS.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines claimed that promoting condom use actually contributes to the spread of the deadly disease because it encourages promiscuity among Filipinos.

'The condom cannot really put a stop to AIDS,' the influential bishops' group said in a statement. 'Moreover, by creating a false sense of security, it condones and encourages promiscuity outside of marriage, and hence contributes to the further spread of AIDS.'

The bishops also chastised the Department of Health for allocating 2.5 million pesos (54,000 dollars) annually for the distribution of free condoms to those with HIV/AIDS unable to buy their own.

'Available resources should instead be channeled to provide basic needs such as food, medicines, education and work,' they said. 'Furthermore, it is unjust that the taxes of the people including Catholics to be used for purposes against their moral beliefs.'

The bishops earlier called for the resignation of Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, after the department distributed free condoms in Manila before Valentine's Day.

Cabral has rejected the bishops' call and stressed that the department was working to increase public awareness and responsible sexual behaviour to combat HIV/AIDS in the country, where 629 new cases were diagnosed in 2009, up from 199 in 2004.