CEBU, Philippines - Cebu first district Rep. Eduardo R. Gullas yesterday lauded the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) for helping its beleaguered student, whose videos of intimate scenes with a male partner went viral online the past weeks.
“I give my hat to the reverend father president for the way it was being handled. I would also like to congratulate the students, the teachers and the alumni for rallying behind the administration,†Gullas said in a press conference in his office at the University of the Visayas yesterday afternoon.
A university president himself, Gullas appealed to “the whole studentry of Cebu from other schools and universities, private and public to help them recover†and to “not make any comments or dili magbugal-bugal ba.â€
Following incidents in which students wearing the USJ-R uniform were being ridiculed in public, the school administration suspended the wearing of uniform.
Earlier this week, Rev. Fr. Enrico Peter Silab, OAR, USJ-R president, announced that the wearing of uniform will resume tomorrow.
Gullas said he also supports the decision of Silab to let the student graduate, despite Monsignor Achilles Dakay’s statement that doing so would only give a bad example to others.
“I’m sure (Silab) has been able to take that into account. But what he did I agree completely…to let her graduate. He may be afraid that it will be made as an example. But will you jeopardize her future just because you are afraid that if she is allowed it would become a bad example for others?†Gullas said.
If the girl was from UV, Gullas said she would still graduate.
“All of us are sinners, it is just a matter of degree,†he said. —/MIT (FREEMAN)