Let’s talk about the internet for a minute.
It’s a place that can bring out the best in our collective conscience, and almost instantly, it can turn into a courtroom where the judge and jury skip the trial and go straight to the sentencing.
Right now, the Philippine basketball world is buzzing about a photo.
PBA courtside reporter Apple David, who is 34, posted a mirror selfie with a man whose face was partially hidden. The internet sleuths went to work. They quickly deduced it was 18-year-old Chad Gammad, an emerging guard for the Letran Knights.
Suddenly, a very heavy word started flying around social media: "Pedophilia."
Let’s take a deep breath, step back, and look at what this massive public reaction really means—because there is both something encouraging and something very troubling happening here.
Whenever a story like this blows up, it’s easy to just shake our heads at the noise of the online mob. But if you look a little deeper, there is a silver lining in the outrage.
A strong moral compass. The fact that so many Filipinos reacted with immediate anger shows a culture that genuinely hates the concept of pedophilia.
The protective instinct. Society is drawing a hard line when it comes to the safety of young people. People want to fiercely protect those they view as vulnerable.
When a society collectively shudders at the thought of an adult preying on a minor, that’s a sign of a healthy moral baseline. We should hate the exploitation of minors. We should be vigilant. That instinct comes from a good place.
But here is where things get dangerous. That healthy, protective instinct can easily warp into a reckless mob mentality when we stop caring about the actual facts of the situation.
The hard truth of the calendar. Chad Gammad recently turned 18. Under the eyes of the law, he is a legal adult. He is no longer a minor.
The absence of evidence. There is absolutely zero proof circulating that this rumored relationship began before Gammad turned 18.
We are seeing far too much reliance on public opinion and assumption, rather than hard facts.
When people throw around a life-altering term like "pedophilia," they are making a massive, career-destroying accusation. They are assigning a criminal label to a situation that, based on all available and verifiable facts, involves two consenting adults.
The 16-year age gap makes people uncomfortable. I get that. It’s unusual. It makes folks raise an eyebrow, especially given their vastly different stages in life and careers.
But being uncomfortable with an age gap does not give the public the right to hurl criminal accusations without proof.
We have grown too reliant on the court of public opinion. We see a photo, we read a couple of tweets, and we suddenly decide we know the entire history of two people we have never met. Apple David and Chad Gammad haven’t even publicly confirmed the actual status of their relationship.
If hard evidence ever surfaced that lines were crossed when he was still a minor, then the public outrage would be entirely justified. But right now? The internet is convicting a woman based on assumptions and an uncomfortable feeling.
Let's hold onto that strong moral compass that protects kids. It’s one of the best things about us. But let's also remember to apply fairness, demand hard facts, and put the pitchforks away when dealing with two legal adults. Simply put, we need to be much better at telling the difference between an actual crime and a situation we just don't personally agree with.
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