Johnny Johan Sompotan, Jakarta – Celebrity Robby Purba has issued a public apology for sharing a video that went viral, showing a security guard hitting a dog at Plaza Indonesia mall. The guard, who lost his job due to the incident, was actually trying to protect a kitten that was being attacked by the dog.
"This apology video is unscripted, made without any coercion, and comes from the deepest part of my heart and sincere regret," Robby Purba said on Monday.
The security guard, identified as Nasarius, also apologized and provided an explanation for his actions. He posted his apology on the Instagram account @madam.official2.
"Good morning everyone, I am Nasarius, the handler of Fay, the dog that was hit in front of Plaza Indonesia. Personally, I apologize. Please forgive me," Nasarius said on Saturday.
He explained that he struck the dog out of necessity because the dog was biting a kitten. "I hit my dog out of necessity to make him stop attacking the kitten. I love him, he is my dog," Nasarius further explained.
His actions were aimed at getting the dog to release the kitten from its grip. "The purpose was to make the dog let go of the kitten," he clarified.
Robby Purba admitted that he shared the video because he was outraged by the sight of a human hitting an animal.
"As a father of numerous rescued cats, I do not support any form of violence against animals, whether verbal or non-verbal. When I saw the video that morning, I was shocked. I felt the need for an explanation, which was my initial motivation for reposting the video," he explained.
He did not anticipate the significant impact his actions would have.
"I never imagined the effects would be this massive after the video went viral. In this video, I won't seek to justify myself or offer excuses," he added.
Robby acknowledged his lack of judgment in responding to the video. He believes he should have verified the video's content before posting it on social media.
"I realize many people were harmed by my reposting the video. I am aware that many were hurt, particularly a father with children who may have lost his job because of this," he expressed.
Robby Purba thanked everyone for their feedback and criticism following his mistake.
"Thank you to everyone for the critiques, advice, and harsh comments. I hope they will serve as lessons for the future. Once again, I sincerely apologize," he concluded.