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Philippine court upholds condom law, aids birth-control push

MANILA — The Philippine Supreme Court Tuesday upheld large parts of a government plan to provide free contraceptives to the poor, ruling on a landmark case that pitted President Benigno Aquino against the Catholic Church.

The 15-member court unanimously voted in favor of the constitutional validity of the Reproductive Health Act, rejecting 14 lawsuits from groups that said the government would curb religious freedom by mandating population control. It voided certain provisions involving minors and spousal consent.

‘‘The Reproductive Health Law is not unconstitutional based on the grounds raised,’’ court spokesman Theodore Te said Tuesday at a televised briefing in Manila. The tribunal handed down its ruling ‘‘after scrutiny of various arguments and contentions.’’

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The law would guarantee universal access to contraception methods, fertility control, sex education, and maternal care. The United Nations has said it will help reduce poverty among the fifth of the nation’s 107 million people who live in slum conditions.

Aquino, 54, has made implementation of the law one of the hallmarks of his six-year term, which ends in 2016, as he seeks to stem population growth.

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