Church, officials weigh in on controversy

UPLOADING the sex video of the 24-year-old university student in the Internet wasn’t the only condemnable act, according to Church leaders.

Msgr. Achilles Dakay, media liaison officer of the Cebu Archdiocese, said committing pre-marital sex in itself is immoral.

“Having sexual intercourse before marriage is a sin. Uploading the video was wrong,” he told Cebu Daily News.

Dakay said what has been discussed in the media was the unlawful uploading of the sex video between the female student of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) and her ex-boyfriend two years ago.

“Apan ang ilang gibuhat dili intawn to natural. Dautan to ang ilang gibuhat (Engaging in sexual intercourse even if they were no married is not natural. That is an evil act),” he said.

Dakay reminded the faithful that the teachings of the Church never gets old.

“Whether you’re young or old, you should know that pre-marital sex is a sin. We are rational beings. We are not dogs,” he said.

Cebu Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale said she was “saddened by the values of people nowadays.”

“Please behave. Premarital sex is really a taboo. Have pity on your parents. Let’s go back to our values,” Magpale said.

Still, Magpale asked the public not to be harsh in judging the student and to instead understand her plight.

The tryst between a the female USJ-R student and her boyfriend, a college stuent from another school, was recorded two years ago but went viral on the Internet last January.

Bootleg copies of the sex video were being spread via Bluetooth to mobile devices especially cell phones.

No sanction was imposed against the student by the university officials who said they wanted to support her and other students who were heckled by outsiders as a result of the incident.

Jaybee Binghay, information officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) said if a similar incident happened outside the country it won’t achieve the same level of notoriety experienced here in the province.

“There’s a big difference in other cultures because here, Filipinos are particular about what others are saying,” she said.

Binghay said the couple in the sex video deserve privacy and the public should respect it.

“If we want to help them especially the girl, please keep silent and respect the dignity of the girl. Delete the videos and stop spreading it. Let us move on,” she said.

Binghay said parents who have wayward children should support them in their hour of need and guide them to the right path.

She said they should also be aware of the pitfalls of technology use by the youth.

Inocencio dela Serna, the young woman’s lawyer, said the girl was “intelligent enough and very positive to move forward.”

“Still you can see the stress she is coping with…she really needs to be counseled,” he said. With Correspondent Renan Alangilan