QUESTIONS: a. Is the dilemma of the Pastor answered by the Advisory? In other words, was the daughter right? At that point, both husband and wife had obviously gone through a journeyof faith and had accepted thefinitude oflife. Could it be, that the daughter was not ready for it and, therefore, insisted on what she wanted? Who needed pastoral help in the first place? The parents who had accepted that the time had come, or the daughter who wasnot able to face this reality? b. Wastheinsistence of the daughter possibly also reinforced by a culture of “technocracy” that is dominant in the medical profession? Are doctors trained to act as medical technocrats who only look at humanlife within the frameworkof whatis scientifically possible? Is this what the Hippocratic Oath means? Does the commitmentto protectlife not imply the reality of death and thus the care for people to assist them to die in dignity? It maywell be valid that because of medical people’s technical training, most doctors maynot knowhowto deal with the finitude oflife. Some may also tend to maximize the use of technical means for the furtheranceofscience, or even worse,for financial gains. 3. Finally, thereis the financial dimensionofthe issue. Taking the lawof averages, majority of the cases aforementioned would be happeningto Filipino families who do not have the meansto sustain the treatment of terminally ill and comatose relatives. They would haveto incur debts that becomea lifelong burden versusa hospitalization, which mayonly add perhapsa few hoursor days, or possibly monthsto a life rendered pure existence through a respirator. Should they be madeto carry the burdenofguilt all their lives because they did not do everything possible for their loved ones? Should everybodyelse’s lives stop (giving up schooling, food, housingland,etc.) to prolong the life of a family memberwhois on respiratorin theintensive care unit? 4. HowdoesourAdvisory enterinto the social cultural conditionsof the majority of the poorin this country? Recommendations to the Commission and Congress: Consult and invite some experts in bio-ethics in the country. One group that can be invited is the bio-ethics team in the University of Santo Tomas. Such groups may help in arriving a more nuanced formulation oftherights of patients and criminalliability of medical personnel. (originally signed) MERCEDESV. CONTRERAS-DANENBERG 28 August 2000 38