Viral vlogger denies spitting on holy water font: 'Wala akong ginawang masama'
The content creator who is making the rounds on social media denied spitting on the holy water font of a church in Misamis Occidental.
In an interview with News5, content creator Thine Medalla set the record straight on the issue and asserted that she was just making a wish in front of the holy water font.
"Kumuha ako ng sobre tapos binalik ko kaagad tapos tumingin ako sa holy water kasi ang meaning doon, nag-wish ako doon sa holy water. 'Yun lang 'yung meaning ko doon," Medalla explained while crying.
When asked what she had wished for, she said, "Na matupad ko lahat ng pangarap ko kahit na ang buhay ko, hindi perpekto. Sa mga content ko, laswa-laswa na pero wala akong magagawa kasi kailangan kong kumita ng pera."
Medalla lamented how the incident made her realize that she had friends who weren’t genuine.
"Dito ko po nakita na may mga kaibigan na hindi talaga totoo. Ang dami nila, kaunti lang talaga 'yung kaibigan na nag-stay sa'kin ngayon," she said.
"Natatakot ako. Ayoko makulong, wala naman akong ginawang masama. Nag-video lang ako pero 'di ko dinuraan 'yun. Wala akong ginawang masama," she continued.
Archbishop Martin Sarmiento Jumoad ordered the temporary closure of the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist in Jimenez after a now-deleted video showed the vlogger allegedly dipping her hands in holy water and then appearing to spit into it.
In a statement, the Archbishop called the incident an "act of sacrilege."
He cited Canon 1211 of the Code of Canon Law, which mandates that "sacred places are to be treated with reverence and respect, and that acts offending their sanctity are gravely sinful and undermine the reverence due to sacred signs."
The church is closed until further notice as a "sign of penance and reparation."
"The reopening of the church will only be permitted after appropriate acts of penance are observed by the faithful, including participation in the Holy Hour and confession, as well as after due pastoral assessment," Jumoad said.
He extended a "serious warning" to the individual responsible for the profanity committed at the church.
