I.

Arguments of the Conflicting side

A. Abortion violates the human rights of the unborn child
According to Article III Section 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, “ No
person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law, nor shall any
person be denied the equal protection of the laws” (The 1987 Constitution, 1987). This assures
that no person will be deprived of their life, liberty, and property without undergoing the due
process of the law. In addition, Article II Section 12 also states that “The States recognized the
sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social
institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from
conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic
efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the Government.”
Abortion on the other hand is defined as the removal of the pregnancy tissue, products of
conception, or the fetus and placenta (afterbirth) from the uterus (Harvard Medical School,
2019).

Despite not physically existing in the world, an unborn child is nevertheless a human
being. Simply said, abortion is the killing of an unborn child. The term “termination” is just
killing in simple terms, which violates the aforementioned laws. It is the mother’s responsibility
to make sure the unborn child’s rights are upheld because it cannot defend itself. Therefore, even
if the child has not yet been born, the mother has the responsibility to ensure that society and the
government respect the child’s rights. Legalizing abortion in the Philippines promotes a culture
in which life is indispensable (Britannica, 2021). Since they can choose to abort their child
whenever they feel like it, people will just engage in sexual activities without caring about
potential consequences. Innocent-born children will be slain without the ability to defend
themselves - which is a violation of due process. Abort is not justifiable because the mother is
not ready or capable. They should have considered those before engaging in sexual activity, not
afterward. Legalizing this measure would not only encourage irresponsible sexual behavior, but
would also downplay the seriousness of murdering another person.
II. Ethical Theories in Support of the Conflicting side
A. Deontological Ethics
Deontological theory is an ethical theory that uses rules to distinguish right from
wrong. The word deontology derives from the Greek words duty (deon) and science (or
study) of (logos) (Alexander & Moore, 2007). This theory falls within the domain of
moral theories that guide and assess our choices of what we should do in contrast to those
that guide and assess what kind of person we are and should be. Simply put, the morality
of a person is determined based on the nature of the action, whether it’s right or wrong
according to a set of rules, regardless of its consequences.

Immanuel Kant believed that the ability to use reason and understand universal
moral laws that they can apply in all situations is what defines a person (Barrow &
Khandhar, 2022). Deontologists recognize that a fetus is a person with equal rights to life
and care as the mother (Premium Papers, 2023). According to Stafan (Stafan, 2014, 927-
935), the right to life is a categorical imperative that prohibits anyone from ending the life
of a person. The categorical Imperative is the perspective that each person or human
being is a form of divine creation. All people are created “in the image and likeness of
God.” Life is a gift from God, and everyone should enjoy this gift unconditionally. It also
entails that no human is entitled to or has the right to end another one’s life. Therefore,
abortion is an immoral act because it allows one to end the life of another person.
Humans are capable of rational thought, which is exercised when a man and a woman
decide to engage in sexual activity. They, therefore, have a moral responsibility to care
for the pregnancy and subsequently the newborn if their sexual behavior results in
offspring.

According to Deontological theory, taking someone’s life is equal to a self-

conceited act because God should be the only entity who has the authority to do so since
he gave us this existence in the first place. Furthermore, it claims that humans are
superior to all other species because we have the ability to reason, and we use reason to
make decisions in every situation we’re in. We are aware that sexual activity, whether
protected or not, may lead to pregnancy. With this knowledge, we are fully capable of
 determining whether or not to continue engaging in sexual intercourse with people of the
opposite sex. We became obligated to take responsibility for any consequences the
conduct may have the moment we made the decision to undertake it. Legalizing abortion
will undermine our capacity for reason and encourage people to engage in sexual activity
for as long as they want without thinking about the consequences.

References

The 1987 Constitution. (1987). The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.

Official Gazette. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/1987-constitution/

Alexander, L., & Moore, M. (2007, November 21). Deontological Ethics (Stanford

Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved April 23,

2023, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/

Barrow, J. M., & Khandhar, P. B. (2022, October 19). Deontology - StatPearls. NCBI.

Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459296/

Britannica. (2021, December 27). Pro and Con: Abortion | Britannica. Encyclopedia

Britannica. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/story/pro-and-

con-abortion

Harvard Medical School. (2019). Abortion (Termination Of Pregnancy). Harvard Health.

Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/medical-tests-and-

procedures/abortion-termination-of-pregnancy-a-to-z

Premium Papers. (2023, February 17). Ethical Theories on Abortion: Deontology,

Utilitarianism, & More. Premium-Papers.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from

https://premium-papers.com/abortion-four-ethical-theories/
Stafan, I. (2014). Arguments for and Against Abortion in Terms of Teleological and

Deontological Theories (Vol. 149). 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.08.301