Thursday, July 24, 2008

Argao Cebu High School Scandal

By Bong O. Wenceslao
Candid Thoughts, Sun Star

Contradictory claims of witnesses have made the truth about the recent incident involving students of the Argao National High School difficult to ascertain. Verifying reports that three pairs of students had sex and filmed it using camera phones has been hampered by the lack of proof. Cell phones seized did not contain videos of a sexual act.

While the concerned students denied the "sex scandal" angle, some witnesses said otherwise. So it is up to the Department of Education (DepEd) to objectively get to the bottom of the incident, although DepEd officials have not been known to be objective in their probes, loyalty and friendship often muddling their appraisal of school scandals.

But I noticed some interesting points while I followed up the issue, including the alleged use by the said students of alcohol and condom. Nobody contradicted the statement of witnesses that the students were drunk (as opposed to "high") at that time. As for the used condom, witnesses claimed this was thrown out of the building in haste. It was not found.

The video and the condom would have given away what actually happened on that day. But whether the students did have sex or not, this incident is an interesting case for those for or against the controversial reproductive bill. I can immediately see two good subjects of discussion there: sex education and "safe sex" (use of contraceptives).

Have the teenagers, all high school students, taken sex education classes in school? Sex education, in the context of the pro-choice line, would make students understand the pros and cons of sex, plus other related topics on sexuality, with the caveat that if the sexual urge can't be repressed, make sex safe by, say, using condom.

If the students did engage in sex and used condom---that should be a triumph for proponents of the contraceptive lifestyle.

There would be no unwanted pregnancy despite the teenagers engaging in premarital sex, except of course if the condom was defective or if it was not used properly. I mean, this could be Exhibit A for pro-choice groups.

But don't tell that to the Church and pro-lifers. Pre-marital sex is a sin and should not have been committed in the first place. Again, if the students did engage in sex, of which we don't have enough proof, and used condoms, that is an indictment of the contraceptive lifestyle, a loosening of morals resulting from the belief that since the sex is "safe," they can engage in it at will because they won't get pregnant.