May sagot na ang senior pastor ng Church of God Dasmariñas tungkol sa insidente ng pagpapahinto kay blogger/journalist Sass Sasot habang nagtatalumpati sa harap ng graduating Senior High School students ng Southern Philippines Institute of Science and Technology kahapon ng Biyernes, Hunyo 3.
"The official statement of the Church of God - Dasmariñas Senior Pastor," saad sa caption sa kanilang opisyal na Facebook page.
Ang nakalagda sa naturang opisyal na pahayag ay si Bishop Anthony V. Velasco, DD. h.c.
"We, Church of God World Missions, Philippines-Dasmariñas, being a religious organization (not an event place), were asked by the school, Southern Philippines Institute of Science & Technology (SPIST), if we can allow the use our church facility for their graduation event," panimula ng opisyal na pahayag.
Pumayag naman daw ang pamunuan, kung ang paaralan ay susunod sa tatlong kondisyong inilatag nila: una, hindi dapat gamitin ang pulpito para sa political endorsement, pangalawa, hindi dapat payagan ang miyembro ng LGBTQ community na magsagawa ng special number o kahit maging guest speaker, at pagbibigay ng reasonable amount of donation para sa kanilang simbahan.
Nakapagbigay na raw ng down payment ang pamunuan ng paaralan, subalit napag-alaman nila kinagabihan, bago ang event, na itutuloy pa rin ng paaralan ang pag-imbita kay Sass sasot bilang commencement speaker. Sa Facebook post ni Sass Sasot, sinabi niyang hindi na sana siya magpupumilit nang sabihin sa kaniyang pinagbabawalan siyang magtungo roon, subalit pinagbigyan daw niya ang pakiusap ng paaralan.
Binigyan umano ng dalawang opsiyon ng kanilang pamunuan ang paaralan sa nararapat na gawin: una, humanap ng ibang lugar na pagdarausan ng kanilang graduation ceremony at ibabalik ang kanilang down payment, at pangalawa naman, palitan ang kanilang LGBTQ guest speaker.
Umaga ng Biyernes, bago pa magsimula ang programa, nagkaroon na umano ng mga pag-uusap sa pagitan ng dalawang pamunuan, dahil hindi umano nag-comply ang paaralan sa dalawang inilatag nilang nagong kondisyon, lalo na ang pangalawa (pagiging commencement speaker ni Sasot). Pakiramdam umano ng simbahan ay nagkaroon ng 'breach of trust'.
"We laid down openly to them what is going to happen if they will try to violate our religious belief… That if our belief is disrespected, we will have no choice but to turn off the lights and sound system as our final recourse to keep the sanctity of the pulpit…"
"This last and drastic option has been clearly communicated to them because we really CANNOT ALLOW OUR PULPIT TO BE DESECRATED," bahagi pa ng pahayag.
Hinintay umano ni Pastor Velasco ang opisyal na pahayag ng SPIST upang i-address ang isyu at akuhin ang responsibilidad sa insidente.
"But as I have read their social media statement, this is not possible anymore. That is why I come out to the open."
Basahin: https://balita.net.ph/2022/06/04/presidente-ng-paaralang-nag-imbita-kay-sass-sasot-para-sa-graduation-ceremony-may-opisyal-na-pahayag/">https://balita.net.ph/2022/06/04/presidente-ng-paaralang-nag-imbita-kay-sass-sasot-para-sa-graduation-ceremony-may-opisyal-na-pahayag/
Sa kabilang banda, bilang pangwakas na pahayag, iginiit ng senior pastor na iginagalang niya ang school institutions at LGBTQ community.
"My final word, I respect school institutions. I respect the LGBTQ community. They are human beings and for this reason we should respect life."
"But how about RESPECT for one's belief, RESPECT for church's rules and regulations, RESPECT for the holiness of the pulpit?"
"The undersigned expresses all these with sincerity, truthfulness, and integrity of heart," pahayag ng senior pastor.
Samantala, sinabi na ni Sasot na wala siyang balak na kasuhan ang may-ari ng Church of God Dasmariñas.
Basahin: https://balita.net.ph/2022/06/04/cancelled-na-si-sass-sasot-idinetalye-mga-nangyari-sa-grad-ceremony-incident-may-kakasuhan-ba/">https://balita.net.ph/2022/06/04/cancelled-na-si-sass-sasot-idinetalye-mga-nangyari-sa-grad-ceremony-incident-may-kakasuhan-ba/
habang isinusulat ito, wala pang tugon ang pamunuan ng paaralan tungkol sa opisyal na pahayag ng senior pastor ng COG.