Church reminds youth to be careful: Girl in sex scandal hopes to graduate

CEBU, Philippines - Distressed over the proliferation of her sex video, the female university student said she accepts the embarrassment and the people’s judgment on her but hopes to be able to graduate.

The girl, who went yesterday morning to the office of lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna to seek help, stressed that she will not commit suicide over it.

“Dawaton nako ang sulti sa mga tao pero dili ko mag-suicide kay naka-commit nako ug sayop unya pun-an pa gyud?” (I will have to take whatever people say, but I don’t plan to commit another mistake by taking my own life.)

Earlier, rumors spread that the university student in the video scandal that went viral committed suicide due to depression.

The second of three siblings, the girl admitted she feels embarrassed but said her family has still accepted her despite what happened.

If authorities could trace who uploaded the video, she said she will be filing appropriate charges.

She requested those who have copies of the video to delete these and refrain from uploading it to websites or sharing it through Bluetooth.

Waiting for decision of school

A graduating student, she is just waiting for the decision of the university on whether she will be allowed to graduate.

“Ang importante akong pag-eskwela ug dili ang sulti sa mga tao sa akoa,” she said. (What’s more important to me is my studies and not what people say about me.)

De la Cerna has met with the Student Affairs Office (SAO) of the university but he refused to divulge what transpired in the meeting.

The lawyer said that their primary focus now is the girl’s studies. Their next move is to try to determine who uploaded it, when, and why.

De la Cerna said the university’s SAO is “very receptive” and that the university is doing all it can to help her.

Cebu City Police Office Director Mariano Natu-el Jr. said that they are willing and ready to assist the girl if she asks for help.

The girl was still wearing her school uniform and school ID in the video. This prompted the school to suspend the students’ wearing of school uniforms so they won’t be subjected to mockery.

Liability

For his part, the president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City Chapter, Atty. Earl Bonachita, said although a person is not responsible for sharing the video, the recipient could still be held liable.

“You may still be liable if you knowingly and willfully participated in the act of sharing the sex video from one person to you as a recipient unless, you didn’t know that you became a recipient of such video,” he told The FREEMAN.

Bonachita said that if the person shared the video to another, that person will be held accountable under the Republic Act 9995 or Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009. He said the act of sharing is punishable under the law.

Section 4 Paragraph (b) of RA 9995 prohibits the act of reproducing or “to cause to be copied or reproduced, such photo or video or recording of sexual  act or any similar activity with or without consideration.”

Penalty is imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than seven years and a fine of not less than P100,000 but not more than P500,000, or both at the discretion of the court.

Bonachita added the woman in the scandalous video can file a case for violation of RA 9995 against those responsible for its reproduction.

Be extra careful

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma reminds the youth to be extra careful in everything that they do.

“There could be temptations, left and right. We do not condemn people who might have been thrown to this sad experience. But we exhort the youth to be mindful of their precious young age and to be able to realize that many times, we thought the action may not be that serious but it may in fact give consequences,” Palma said.

Palma, who heads the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said they agreed that it will be the task of the bishop to remind the universities “to be true to the challenge of academic excellence and the challenge of research and to be able to cope up with the challenge of modern times in terms of advancement and studies.”

Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal, on the other hand, said that parents must double their efforts in upholding the morality of the youth. — with Marigold P. Lebumfacil/JPM (FREEMAN)