Lakas-Kampi chair Gilberto Teodoro Jr and his wife Tarlac Rep. Monique Prieto-Teodoro have withdrawn support from the Reproductive Health Bill just months after declaring support for it even at the cost of pissing off the Roman Catholic Church.

Just in time, it turns out, to get them back into the good graces of the Church, whose bishops are about to come out with guidelines for Catholic voters.

I confess to you, my brothers and sisters, that I was partial to Teodoro until last night. True, he was Lubao’s man through and through, but at least he was straight about it.

Unlike people in Arroyo’s Opposition who slam the President when politically convenient, he refused to turn on her even though that would have meant cheap popularity. That he stood by–and stands by–his President hinted at some sort of character and principle.

His until-recently steadfast support for the RH Bill was also refreshing, especially since the Church, as history and Jose Rizal have taught us, has been the number one patronage politician for centuries.

His performance during the Ondoy floods was a bit disappointing, and so was his tired choice of a showbiz personality as his running mate to up his star power and mass appeal. But that was a result of poor planning by past defense secretaries, right? And Manzano as VP was probably a party  decision, right?

But kowtowing to the Church? After saying “I believe in freedom of informed choice by a person as to what he or she wants to do with his or her own body”? That’s all on you, Gibo.

So is wearing jeans from the '90s