Bullying ‘darkness’ not over – Ateneo head

MANILA, Philippines — Even after the decision on the bullying case was handed down, Ateneo de Manila University president Jose Ramon Villarin believes that the “darkness” caused by the incident is far from over.

Villarin acknowledged the incident during his homily at the Christmas Eve mass in the Church of the Gesù in Ateneo on Monday night.

“The events of the past few days have been quite challenging,” he said. “This dark episode, this darkness is far from over. Like you, I have been battered with all sorts of emotions inside: anger, grief, fear, despair, confusion.”

But despite this darkness, the Ateneo president urged the community to recognize the hope, love and concern given by those who came forward to offer their support at the height of the incident.

“Yes, there is still fear, but the fear is not greater than our faith. Yes, there is still pain, but the pain is still not greater than our hope. And if hate and apathy seem to be enduring, these can never be greater than love,” he said.

“I may be surrounded by darkness, but I am not afraid. I am with you,” he added.

Villarin said he has been afraid to go to the internet in recent days, noting how it can be a “dark and twisted place.” 

Over the past week, the Ateneo administration has been at the receiving end of the public outcry over the bullying incident involving its junior high school students.

“There is a lot of dark out there for us to lose heart in our humanity. Are we so hopeless, so terribly forsaken, abandoned?” added the Jesuit priest.

But citing the Gospel, Villarin said any place can be a place of light insofar as we allow God to make it.

“We are the people to whom Jesus gave himself ‘to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good,’” he said. “This vesting of God’s favor on us can be difficult to discern in times of darkness. But it is also during such times when this alighting of God’s love and God’s favor on us is most luminous.”

Ateneo has dismissed the student involved in the bullying case, with Villarin saying he has offered the families of those concerned the continued support to help them overcome the incident.

He also formed a task force to conduct a comprehensive study and conduct an independent audit of the present measures to be able to recommend to the school administration how it can create a safer and bully-free environment.

“Such an environment shall prevent a culture of silence from harming our students and encourage everyone to speak up against bullying and other forms of misconduct without fear of retaliation or censure,” Villarin said on Sunday.

“Such an environment will empower students to become the Ateneans we all desire them to be for others,” he added.