Second chances

Days before Christmas, a social media post of an incident of bullying on a hapless young student by a fellow student within school premises stirred fire and brimstone in the Jesuit-run Ateneo High School. But even as the hue and cry have subsided, Ateneo de Manila University president Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin could not shake off his own traumatic experience from the incident.

We could only imagine how the bullied victim is coping with his own trauma from the violence inflicted to his person right inside their school. The young victim, who suffered bloodied nose and mouth, though showed more dignity than the bully who made him choose “dignidad o bugbog” (dignity or be mauled).

The parents of the victim consoled him with this fact as they reported for “police blotter” purposes only the mauling case of their son. They left it to school authorities to take the proper actions on the offending party.

Even after the dismissal of the bully student already handed down, Fr. Villarin (SJ) believes the “darkness” cast over the entire Ateneo school community caused by the incident is far from over. This he acknowledged during his homily on Christmas Eve mass he celebrated at the Church of the Gesù in Ateneo in Katipunan, Quezon City last Monday night.

In his Christmas Eve homily, Fr. Villarin shared his laments that followed the undesired turn of events. “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.”

After initial investigations on the bullying incident, the Ateneo school authorities “dismissed” from school the 14-year old boy. Fortunately for him, his dismissal from Ateneo does not prevent him from enrolling in another high school.

It would at least give him a second chance to continue his education.

This should give him the hard-learned lesson never to be a bully again.

Fr. Villarin admitted though he himself has been afraid to go to the internet in recent days after the bullying incident went viral. He lamented how internet sites can be a “dark and twisted place.” The good Father, however, intoned: “I may be surrounded by darkness, but I am not afraid. I am with You.”

Of course, he refers to the God Almighty, the Supreme Being. Fr. Villarin belongs to the Society of Jesus (SJ), a Roman Catholic order of religious men founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola – a soldier-turned-mystic. Noted for its educational, missionary, and charitable works, the Society of Jesus includes Pope Francis as the first pontiff recruited from their Order. 

“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,” Fr. Villarin cited.

These very strong prayers stands ironic to Ateneo’s slogan “one big fight” cheer that reverberated in triumphant glee for the victory of the Blue Eagles basketball team only last December 5. It was replaced by pall and gloom that resulted from this “darkness” a few weeks after the entire Ateneo community rejoiced with their basketball team that won anew the UAAP championship.

Just because only this particular incident went viral on social media does not mean it was just an isolated case of bullying. There might be other cases, may be unknown or unreported to school officials and even to their parents of victims.

Perhaps, a rethinking of this rather odd “one big fight” cheer of Ateneo should be part of the on-going review triggered by this bullying case. This “one big fight” slogan gives a mindset of students that Ateneo stands for fighting.

Cases of bullying have been happening at Ateneo High School even during its early days in the1950’s. A case in point involved former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. After graduating from the Ateneo elementary school in 1951, he was also “dismissed” during his second year of secondary studies at the Ateneo High School as disciplinary action on his “unruly conduct.” 

“My offense was fighting a burly American classmate who was bullying another classmate much smaller than he. I told him to pick on someone his size, and he took up my challenge,” Mr. Estrada recalled. The Filipino classmate being bullied was Mario Tiaoqui whom Estrada later appointed to his Cabinet as Energy Secretary during his shortened presidency.

From Estrada’s anecdote, he squared off with the school bully also inside the boys’ comfort room like the 14-year old bully involved in the viral video. 

They locked themselves inside and fought each other. But the noise and commotion reached the ears of school authorities and broke open the door and accosted the two boys to the principal’s office. And the rest, as we say, is history.

Fast forward. The still unexplained part of the whole story is who and how the bullying incident got posted on social media. Yes, we all know students are technology-savvy and could take video from their smart and android mobile phones. After all, they come from well-to-do families.

But wealth is not an issue here.

The students behind the video posts could be deemed “enablers” of the bullying incident when they did not lift a finger to stop or intervene to prevent a one-sided fight. 

It turned out the young bully has taekwondo training. As a parent, I also sent my twin boys to undergo taekwondo lessons one summer of their high school. It was on the idea that they learn how to capably defend themselves if faced with harm or danger. But they never used their skills to bully others.

The Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) has not closed the doors to the young bully even as he is banned indefinitely from PTA-sanctioned competition and events. “But he must show remorse,” PTA president Robert Aventajado was quoted saying. “It’s all about giving this young taekwondo practitioner a second chance.”

Fine. But the bully in him should not enjoy second chances.