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| screen-capped image from the viral bullying video and a copy of the statement of the victim's parents (from Google and GMA News) |
Few days after the incident, the parents of the victim in a bullying incident in Ateneo have finally issued a statement.
The student showed strong moral foundation when he chose to
preserve his self-respect rather than fight back at his fellow student, his
parents said on Monday.
"Our son, without his doing, became the poster child for a bullied boy. But rather than remembering him as a victim, we would want you to see him as a young man of good moral foundation." the statement reads
"We want you to see that he is not a loser and that he
does not deserve to be pitied; rather, he should be exalted for his sense of
dignity and justice beyond his years," it added
The parents stressed that their son would have been
subjected to a more cruel treatment had he chose ‘dignity’ over ‘bugbog’.
"Thus, our son chose his true sense of dignity –
choosing instead to be subjected to physical assault rather than surrender his
self-respect. And that is what we are fighting for. Our dignity," the
parents said.
In the said viral video, if ‘dignity’ will be chosen, the
bully would have the victim kneel and kiss his shoes and private parts.
The parents said that they felt outraged when they saw the
video, but had to remain silent to ensure their son’s protection as they help
him heal from the incident.
"He did not do anything to deserve this kind of
treatment from his classmates. But, despite what happened, we will not let this
incident damage our son – he will heal from this, and we will ensure that he
will grow up with his morality and values intact," their statement said
They also called on the victims of bullying to stand up in
keeping their dignity intact and to believe that there will always be justice.
“Let every bully know that there is a God who favors the
humble and the weak," they said
"With this I say to all the children who had been
bullied, and to all the parents whose child had been pushed against the wall,
'never give up!' Let your voices be heard. Let us not give up the very essence
of our being. Our dignity," the statement added
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