Philippine President Aquino does not favor a specific family planning method but would support any legal method that Filipino couples decide to take, the Malacanang presidential palace clarified Sunday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte made the clarification in an interview with state-run Radyo ng Bayan, when asked whether he would remain steadfast in his pro-choice stand on family planning. Valte was also responding to calls made by San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto that Aquino should be like his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, who listened to the Catholic Church especially on the issue of family planning. 'The President had said that his stand on this issue is for responsible parenthood. We in the administration are not advocating one method over the other. That is what we want to clarify. As soon as the parents make an informed choice on the matter, we would support them,' Valte said, adding that for this reason, 'it's not right to say that the president's position is pro-life or anti-life or whatever. Predient Aquino is for responsible parenthood.' The government is ready to provide security to celebrity tour guide Carlos Celdran if it is confirmed that there may be threats to his life after the recent stunt he pulled in the middle of a Mass, where he protested the interference of the Church in the government's population management policy, said Valte when asked. 'For any citizen with concerns over security, we are ready to provide protection if it is proven that there are real threats to his life. It is the job of the police to secure the lives of our people,' she said. Meanwhile, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) said it is elated with Aquino's firm position on reproductive health education. 'We're very happy with the president's stand on providing education and information for everybody especially women on all the methods for them to plan their families,' said Emmeline Verzosa, Executive Director of the PCW. Asked how different Aquino is from his predecessor on the reproductive health issue, Verzosa said that former president Arroyo 'was very careful about her position.' 'So we're very actually very happy that President Aquino, who's even a man, took this very strong position,' said Verzosa. Verzosa observed that the country's female presidents were ' more conservative' in terms of the population policy that they pursued during their respective terms. Arroyo actively promoted natural family planning during her term, and gave local governments the discretion to promote artificial family planning methods. 'Cory (Cozazon Aquino) and GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) were more conservative. (Former President Fidel) Ramos was more progressive in terms of reproductive health issues,' said Verzosa. At the close of his recent United States visit, Aquino said while he would not dictate on couples any specific birth control method, his administration might provide assistance to those who are without means if they want to employ a particular method. The remarks stirred up a storm as they might mean that Aquino is open to giving couples contraceptives. Church officials have argued that contraception is a type of abortion, which is banned by the country's Constitution. However, proponents of contraception have argued that rapid population growth and high fertility rates have exacerbated poverty, and birth control could be an effective way to raise living standards. The Philippines, whose population is estimated to hit 94 million this year, is the 12th most populous country in the world. 