“Pinapatawad ko na silang lahat” — Victim in viral Pinget Bullying Case accepts apology, hopes no one else suffers the same pain

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — After days of pain, public attention and calls for accountability, the student at the center of the viral bullying incident in Pinget has chosen forgiveness over revenge.

The victim accepted the public apologies of the minors involved in the incident, who faced him and his family on September 4 to express remorse for their actions. He also expressed hope that what happened to him would never be repeated, either against him or other students who will study at Pinget National High School.

“I forgive them all for what they did to me, and I hope this will never happen to me or to other students who will study at Pinget,” he said.

From pain to forgiveness

The incident reportedly happened at around 3 p.m. on August 26 outside Pinget National High School, where the victim was allegedly assaulted and humiliated by a group of students.

Videos of the incident later spread widely on social media, triggering public outrage and calls for accountability over bullying and violence among students.

The school subsequently condemned bullying and violence and appealed to the public to stop sharing and reposting videos involving the minors, citing concerns over their privacy and the possibility of further harassment and trauma.

On September 4, the minors involved faced the victim, his family, barangay officials and police representatives and publicly apologized for their actions.

One of the minors directly apologized to the victim and expressed remorse, asking for an opportunity to change.

Family chooses forgiveness over revenge

The families eventually reached an amicable settlement, with the victim's family also considering the future of the minors involved.

The victim's mother said the decision was not easy and that she first listened to her child, who had been deeply affected by the incident.

She also said she did not want the incident to permanently destroy the future of the minors involved.

The victim's grandfather, meanwhile, appealed to people who had been calling for retaliation online to stop spreading the incident and seeking revenge.

The family has asked the public to respect their decision and allow both sides to move forward.

₱800,000 settlement and public apology

As part of the agreement, the families of the minors involved agreed to a total ₱800,000 settlement, to be divided based on the respective participation of those involved.

The minors were also required to issue a public apology before the victim's family, barangay officials and police personnel.

For the victim, however, the most important outcome is not the settlement or the apology but the hope that no other student will have to experience the same pain.

After an incident that quickly spread across social media, the victim's final message is not one of revenge.

It is forgiveness—and a plea that what happened to him ends with him.

P800,000 settlement and public apology

Under the agreement reached on September 4, the families of the minors involved agreed to a total P800,000 settlement, with the amount to be divided among those involved based on their respective participation in the incident.

The minors were also required to issue a public apology before the victim's family, barangay officials and police personnel. The victim's family has since appealed for the public to allow both sides to move forward.

But for the victim, the most important outcome may not be the settlement itself; it is the hope that his experience will become a warning to other students and that no one else will have to endure the same kind of pain.

His words are simple but carry the weight of everything that happened. After an incident that spread rapidly across social media, the victim's final message is not one of revenge. It is forgiveness and a plea that what happened to him ends with him.