MANILA -- Different religious organizations on Tuesday had opposing views on the bill seeking to promote “religious freedom" in the country.

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The proposed measure, to be known as “Magna Carta on Religious Freedom Act,” seeks to protect the “right of the people to freedom of religion in the Philippines guaranteed under Section 5, Article III of the 1987 Constitution.”

The bill seeks to underline the right of every person to “freedom of religion and liberty of conscience, as well as the free exercise or expression.”

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“It shall not be denied, burdened, regulated, or curtailed even if it is a result of the rule of general applicability of existing laws, except in the cases provided in Section 6 hereof,” part of Senate Bill 1043 stated.

The Section 6 being referred is one’s right to choose a religion or religious group.

Meanwhile, such religious freedom will only be denied if:

• The free exercise of religious freedom or conscience of a religious group or individual results in violence, or inflicts or poses to inflict direct or indirect physical or material harm or danger in other people or infringe on their own freedom of religion or conscience
• It is necessary to protect public safety, public order, health, property and good morals
  Individuals who would violate the measure once enacted into law will be fined from P100,000 to P500,000 or imprisoned from six to eight years.

But during Tuesday’s Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing, Philippines For Jesus Movement Bishop Leo Alconga echoed the position of the Philippine Ulama Congress, Inc. over the importance of religious freedom.

The group stated that the state should not dip its hands in religious matters, citing the 1987 Constitution’s separation of church and state provision, as well as the enshrined freedom of religion of every Filipino.

“Hindi kailangang mangialam ang government entities. Sapagka't kapag nangyari iyon, maba-balewala ang ating karapatan sa panananamplataya, mababalewala ang ating pagsamba, mababalewala ang ating pag-exercise ng ating mission and ministry to serve our God for the betterment of beloved Philippines,” Alconga stated.

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Leaders of the Muslim community and other religious organizations, meanwhile, registered their support for the bill.

Prior to this, panel chairman Sen. Francis Tolentino questioned the proposed involvement of government agencies like the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Labor and Employment, among others in writing the bill’s implementing rules and regulations once it becomes a law.

Tolentino insisted the measure does not need an IRR.

“Mas maganda na ang gawin nyong batas ay yung air tight... They (government agencies) are not authorized to change our belief, they are not authorized to change our faith... Dapat wala nang IRR,” the senator said

Sen. Robin Padilla seconded Tolentino’s stand against the agencies' participation in crafting the measure’s IRR.

The panel has already instructed representatives of the said religious organizations to submit their position papers regarding the bill to be followed by further discussions and eventual preparation of a Chairman’s committee report to be penned by Tolentino.