Case 1: On CBCPs call for ban on condom advertisement The department of health distributed condoms Valentines Day last

year in part of their awareness campaign to control the high percentage of AIDS cases in our country. However, the aforementioned distribution made by the health department was considered immoral by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines or CBCP and in response, they have called for ban on condom advertisements in public places whether be it in print, and broadcast media, saying these commercials weaken the moral fiber of the youth. For they believe that these multi-million dollar condom business heavily targets the adolescent market, at the expense of distribution efforts, and criticized the Catholic Church by saying that it should share the blame for the governments failure to stem the rising number of AIDS cases in the country. In the same statement, CBCP also asked the government to re-channel all funding involved in promoting condoms to efforts in fighting other diseases such as cancer, influenza and tuberculosis, and to the provision of basic needs such as food and medicine for they find it unjust that the taxes of the people including Catholics are used for purposes against their moral beliefs. Case 2: The Ambiguity of Prostitution Even while Philippines laws do not define prostitution, prostitutes are criminals. Clients, or men who avail of sex from women in prostitution, are not expressly penalized. The following persons involved in prostitution are penalized through the various Philippine criminal provisions relating to the prostitution of women: (1) prostitutes (except children); (2) pimps and procurers; (3) those engage in the business of prostitution; (4) those profiting from the prostitution; (5) those enlisting the services of women and children in prostitution. Although adult prostitutes are criminals under the Philippine law, and engaging in the business of prostitution is a crime, prostitution is, in reality, de facto legal, both the labor code and local regulations such as the Sanitation Code contain provisions pertaining to certain women workers in night clubs, cocktail lounges, massage clinics, sauna baths, bars, etc. which indirectly recognize that prostitution is part of the establishments business. Thousands of so-called streetwalkers are imprisoned for vagrancy. Those in bars and similar establishments are rounded up in raids. Meanwhile the men who exploit women in prostitution are largely left untouched. Cecilia Hoftmann, for the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific, argues that, if the prostitution of women were to be regarded in the same light as the prostitution for children, in other words as abuse, harm and human rights violation, and further, as discrimination against women as group, then the same legal treatment would not only be possible but necessary. Abusers and profiteers would be legally liable while the women would be considered as offended parties. Reports on the number of children in prostitution depict the immense hardships that plague the Filipino family.

Of the 1.5 million street-children, 60,000 are prostituted (ECPAT 1996). The DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) claims that the annual average increase of prostituted children is 3,266. The Philippines is the fourth country with the most number of prostituted children (Intersect, December 1995). Research studies conducted in schools show that for every 3 Filipino children, one child experiences abuse (Manila Bulletin, 11 February 1996). During the first semester of 1999 alone, there were 2,393 children who were victims of rape, attempted rape, incest, acts of lasciviousness and prostitution (DSWD 1st semester, 1999). Case 3: The Double-Standard in Marital Infidelity Philippine law penalizes a married womans infidelity differently and more heavily than a married mans transgression. An act of sexual intercourse by a married woman with a man not her husband constitutes the crime of adultery. On the other hand, a mans sexual infidelity with a woman not his wife is not a crime, unless there is cohabitation (which implies some degree of permanency) or the sexual infidelity was committed under scandalous circumstances; it is only then that the crime of concubinage is committed. This legal double standard is based on womens child-bearing ability and mens claims of natural sexual needs or drive, which are the same justifications used to maintain prostitution. Clearly, these laws discriminate against women and violate their human and constitutional rights to fundament equality before the law. CASE 4: ON FARE HIKE IMPLEMENTATION There has been a series of debates whether or not to implement fare hike in various train transportation systems such that of the LRT and MRT. The issue has been debated since the last Arroyo Administration. Just recently Sen. Ralph Recto sought to refute Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas argument that a fare increase in Metro Manilas mass transit system was in order, partly, to save taxpayers in the provinces from having to contribute to the subsidy. Roxas has said earlier that it was not fair to continue the government subsidy on fares on these train lines, considering that the money also sourced from taxes collected in the provinces. But Recto, chairman of the ways and means committee, clarified that not one taxpayer in the province was shelling out money for the subsidy, which amounts to around P40 per passenger per ride and that the subsidy on LRT and MRT fares was sourced mainly from taxes collected in Metro Manila. Well in fact, it is Metro Manila that is subsidizing the 39.4billion CCT or Conditional Cash Transfer program that would benefit most of the provinces. CASE 5: THE INDETERMINACY OF LIFE Maria, a 3-year old child who is in good health suddenly developed a high fever. When she became acutely ill, she was admitted to the Philippine Children Hospital. The prognosis of

her attending physician said that she is inflicted with meningococcemia. Her skin developed widespread hemorrhagic lesions that rapidly became gangrenous due to synergistic infection. Therapies and appropriate antibiotics appeared to halt the progress of the illness and one week later, she was transferred out of the ICU and placed under the care of the Infection Disease Service. At that time however, she still had high fever. It was found out that the only chance of saving her life is to amputate all four limbs disarticulating them at the shoulders and hips. The pediatric surgeon felt that the disarticulation would lead to intolerable existence for the child thereafter. Case 6: No permit, no exam policy Aristotle University is a religious church-owned educational institution established in 1912. It styles itself as a leading center for quality yet affordable education. It particularly addresses those who have less or the socially disadvantaged. Recently, the institution strictly implements its No Permit, No Exam Policy to collect money and properly monitor cash flow in the university. The student who fails to meet this requirement shall not be permitted to take his or her examinations. There mission as a Sheldonian Community, they inspire others to follow the
example of St. Sheldon De Cooper, who led and organized his contemporaries in creatively responding to those who are in need; As an educational institution which takes pride in its quality yet affordable

education, does Aristotle University still upholds to its Vision and Mission statement?