Anti-RH advocate claims 'assault' a 'non-issue'

An anti-Reproductive Health (RH) bill advocate accused of assaulting an RH supporter has finally broken his silence on the incident, insisting the alleged assault is a "non-issue" that does not deserve further discussion. The alleged assailant, identified as Rizalito David, sent a statement to GMA News saying that the pro-RH advocates involved in the alleged assault just "[blew] the matter out of proportion to get media mileage as they very well know that the RH bill will be defeated on voting day." David is a member of Pro-Life Philippines and was a senatorial candidate of the Ang Kapatiran Party during the 2010 elections. "What they lack in valid arguments for the bill, they are trying to salvage by provocations against us pro-life people. That is their misfortune and we will not give them the chance to drag us down with them and their losing stance," he said. "I hope we can put this non-issue to rest," David said in closing. David, however, did not issue an outright denial that he assaulted Kenneth Keng, advocacy director of the advocacy group Filipino Freethinkers.

On Wednesday, the pro-RH group Filipino Freethinkers released a statement saying that David hit Keng in the face on Tuesday, after arguing about the RH bill in the gallery of the House of Representatives while interpellation was going on in the plenary hall. In an interview on GMA News TV's "News To Go," Keng said David first threatened him by inviting him to "settle things outside" after the two had a heated discussion about alleged foreign funding to lobby for the controversial bill. "Sinabi niya, 'Ah gano'n ha? We'll discuss foreign funding ha. Doon na lang tayo sa labas, I'll make it very clear to you kung ano 'yung foreign funding,'" Keng said. "I started to feel threatened na." Keng said David then sat beside him and suddenly hit him, after which the latter ran out to the plenary hall lobby. Armed with a camera, Keng followed David outside and took video of him walking out with Fr. Melvin Castro of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. In the video, Keng asked David to identify himself, but the latter refused to do so. Keng said that the debate between pro- and anti-RH groups can become heated, and he admitted that he sometimes gets angry as well when he hears the other side's arguments, which he says are "not backed up by evidence." "Pero sa Filipino Freethinkers and the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network, we're always open to honest discussion," he said. "Let's have the evidence out and let's discuss this civilly." He added that he would also like to hear David's side of the story. "We'd like to hear... kung bakit niya ginawa 'yun," he said. "Also 'yung sa debate, sana civil na lang. Let's do it as a democratic, civil country. Let's not resort to violence." — Candice Montenegro/RSJ, GMA News