Benedict discussed his achievements before becoming a public school teacher in the now-deleted post. During his first year of teaching, he met his future wife, a grade-school student. He also mentioned that she made her first move in high school.
“Umamin naman sya sa akin na kinikilig daw sya noon pag tinutukso siya sa akin ng nga classmates niya at doon daw sya na develop sa akin. Hanggang sa hinahanap hanap na nyang tuksuhin sya sa akin ng mga classmates nya,” Benedict stated.
Benedict concluded his Thanksgiving post by expressing gratitude to the church group he was with “for enriching our married life.” He also thanked “SDO Mandaluyong” for blessing him with “a wife to love forever.”
The post has become viral and resulted in many netizens bashing Benedict for grooming his former student, even calling him for being a pedophile. Some users have calculated and speculated that Benedict was 51 years old while the girl was just 15 when their relationship started.
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Many users have even expressed their disgust at the fact that grooming in the Philippines is considered a norm. Benedict also posted a public statement addressing the growing criticism of his relationship. However, this statement did little to calm the backlash down.
In related news, Gabriela Women’s Party has called for stricter laws to criminalize grooming after this very “Thanksgiving” post. Gabriela’s first nominee, former Rep. Sarah Elago, strongly condemned Benedict’s “predatory actions.”
“We are appalled by this blatant case of grooming and abuse of power. This is a grave violation of trust, and no one, especially those in positions of authority, should ever exploit their influence to prey on minors. This is a clear example of grooming that must be condemned in the strongest terms,” Elago stated.
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