Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, who has earned the ire of Church leaders and conservative Catholics for distributing condoms to help prevent the spread of HIV-AIDS, recently found an ally in the person of the only physician seeking a Senate seat in the May 10 elections.

Liberal Party senatorial bet Dr. Martin Bautista, specializing on gastroenterology, said he supports Cabral when she appropriated funds of the Department of Health to purchase condoms for distribution to HIV-AIDS risk groups.

In a visit to the Manila Bulletin earlier this week, Bautista even described Cabral’s most criticized act as Health Secretary as the most practical way to make prevention of sexually transmitted diseases accessible to the public.

“Condoms have to be easily accessible because from a physician’s perspective, prevention is part of the treatment plan. As such, I also would want condoms to be easily accessible and available to anybody who feel that they need it,” Bautista said.

Although claiming that he is a practicing Catholic who earlier bolted away from the pro-life group Ang Kapatiran Party, Bautista admitted that he supports the distribution of condoms courtesy of DoH funds the way he supports the disputed Reproductive Health bill.

“From a public health perspective, I support the DoH for targeting only high-risk groups and not the all the families in the country. What they did was to target a place frequented by men having sex with other men. They have not been haphazard in the distribution. And I support their move because if they failed to do it, this disease will bankrupt our nation in no time at all,” he said.

It was recalled that the DoH distributed condoms at Dangwa, a popular flower market in Manila last Valentine’s Day. The place is frequented by traders and people from all walks of life during special occasions.

“Using taxpayers’ fund to treat HIV is part of the treatment plan. It’s like a vaccine. Besides, the status quo mindset in our country is unacceptable for me. There has to be something new from what we have been doing to make it right,” he added.

Touted as “Dr. Balikbayan” in the LP senatorial slate, Bautista graduated as an “Iskolar ng Bayan” but gained extensive training in the US. In 2006 he came home to the Philippines vowing to provide proper medical care for the underprivileged, to serve those who are weakest, poorest and ill.