MANILA, Philippines — He may be for family planning and reducing population growth but President Rodrigo Duterte has clarified that he is not supportive of abortion.

Duterte believes that cutting population growth can help improve the country’s economy, which grew by 7.1 percent in the third quarter.

“The problem here in the Philippines is we have breached also the million. We are now 105 million… We have to reduce the population. Family planning,” the president said during the awarding ceremony of the golf tournament of the military and police in Camp Aguinaldo last Tuesday.

“I’m not talking about abortion. I’m talking about family planning. But the Church is opposed to it. So we are in a bind,” he added.

Duterte said the discussion about family planning started with an exchange of words but has now become a heated one.

“I share the same position with (former President Fidel) Ramos. He has been calling my attention. Must have read it in the newspaper. Enforce the law in family planning,” he added.

The Reproductive Health (RH) Law, which aims to provide access to natural and artificial birth control methods, was enacted in 2012 despite protests by groups who believe that it promotes sexual promiscuity. Critics of the measure also claimed that the billions allotted for contraceptives could be used to fund more meaningful development and health programs.

Last year, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that barred the Health department from procuring, selling, distributing, dispensing or administering, advertising and promoting contraceptive implants that can prevent pregnancies for up to three years.

The high court also stopped the government from approving pending applications for contraceptives including reproductive products.

RH Law supporters have called for the lifting of the TRO, saying the Supreme Court justices are not scientists who can determine if the contraceptives to be issued by the government can induce abortion.

Section 9 of the RH Law states that the National Drug Formulary shall include hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine devices, injectables, and other safe, legal, non-abortifacient, and effective family planning products and supplies.

Pro-life advocates noted that the law does not permit the distribution of abortifacients so the government should make sure that it is strictly complied with.

Duterte said he implemented a family planning program when he was still mayor of Davao City. He said he paid for the ligation of women with many children and distributed pills to couples.

“I do not mean to offend the Christians here. That’s a question of exacting obedience through fear,” Duterte said.

The president, a Ramon Catholic, scored the Church for allegedly threatening its followers with eternal damnation if they do not obey priests.

“When I asked my workers there ‘why are there many children here?’ ‘Sir, they are afraid to go to hell,’” Duterte said.

“I said he (priest) should go to hell first. We are already struggling here.”