By Christine F. Herrera

The clash of wills between bishops and congressmen continues, and this time the proposed magna carta for women becomes a bone of contention.

House Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin served notice the lawmakers will not give in to the clergymen by blocking the proposed insertions made by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in the women?s magna carta.

The bishops wanted to ensure that the proposed law will carry a provision to expel or deny admission to ?pregnant but unwed students and teachers? from public, private and Catholic-run schools and universities.

During the bicameral conference committee hearing at the Mandarin Hotel, the CBCP proposal was made through Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel and Reps. Raul del Mar of Cebu and Eduardo Zialcita of Para?aque, all known allies of the bishops.

They said the expulsion would come only after ?due process? has been done.

But Garin branded that proposal as a big joke.

?I am confused on what the CBCP really wants, if indeed said proposal came from them. We should not deny women of livelihood and education, and push them to have abortions. It is not only anti-life but also anti-women. Clearly, a non-christian act,? said Garin, also a doctor-obstetrician-gynecologist, who was tagged by the CBCP as ?abortionist? for supporting the reproductive health and family planning bill in Congress.

?Magna Carta of Women is a policy that seeks to uplift the status of Filipino women. Putting a provision that will allow further the discrimination on women will make this policy and us policymakers in this Congress a big joke,? Garin said.

Asserting academic freedom, Garin said women have a right to equal access to education. Denying women that right would mean tolerating discrimination in the society, she said.

?This proposal will also encourage induced abortions,? Garin said. ?By instilling fear and aggravating a problematic situation, we will be pushing women to undergo induced abortions instead of discouraging them to do so. That provision will be detrimental to the advocacies we have long fought for.?

Garin insisted it would worsen the stigma and public ridicule on the single parents. ?Being a single parent is hard enough as it is. Let us not aggravate it by giving them that fear of losing their jobs, of being kicked out of the school because they decided to continue their pregnancy.?

?Getting pregnant outside of marriage may not be morally correct to some, but it is our moral obligation that the unborn fetus is protected and allowed to live. Let us not condemn them. We are Christians, we should not be judgmental,? Garin said.

Without the discriminatory provision, the Senate ratified the Magna Carta of Women shortly before Congress went on recess on March 6. The House is expected to ratify the measure when it resumes sessions on April 13.