One of the current hottest issues here in the Philippines is the Reproductive Health Bill which opens a debate between the Church and the State.
While the government is open for the use of contraceptives to help Filipinos in family planning, the Church strongly opposed such means of reducing what has been tagged as the culprit of the country’s increasing poverty rate.

And while the Church threatens the country’s new leader, President Benigno Aquino, for a possible excommunication due to his stance on artificial contraceptives; a Reproductive Health Bill advocate in the name of Carlos Celdran caused a scene at the Manila Cathedral mass which led him to be arrested and jailed.

Carlos Celdran behind bars

With the power of social media, supporters of Carlos Celdran setup a Facebook fan page to clamor his freedom. The fan page reads:

This page is created by friends of Carlos Celdran clamoring for his release, condemning the antiquated views of the church, and supporting the Reproductive Health Bill to uplift Filipinos’ lives. On September 30, he was taken away by policemen when he walked in the Manila Cathedral armed with a placard that read “DAMASO.” Clad in Jose Rizal attire, he protested “Stop getting involved in politics!” before he was taken away. Now, he is detained in a Manila city jail.

As of this writing, the fan page has already got more than 20,200 Facebook users showing off their support for Celdran’s advocacy. If this campaign to free Carlos Celdran succeeds, it only shows that social media is indeed not just a fad.

Are you a Filipino? Are you willing to support the advocacy of Carlos Celdran? Let’s talk it in the comment section below.

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