Ban on Abortion Prevails in Philippines
By Stephen de Tarczynski MANILA, Sep 30 (IPS) - Sitting in an apartment in central Manila, 70-year-old Lydia (her second name has been withheld to protect her identity) speaks in hushed tones. A manghihilot, or traditional midwife, she is wary when talking about her experiences of abortion, an often-taboo subject in the Philippines. While Lydia, speaking through a translator, insists that for more than 50 years she has merely been "a local midwife who helps women give birth", she al