"Unless we have leaders who value life and justice more than fraternal relationships, these violent rituals will never cease."
"Unless we have leaders who value life and justice more than fraternal relationships, these violent rituals will never cease."
Harsh as it is, hazing is here to stay. Despite the enactment of the Anti-Hazing Law, violence related to fraternities and school initiations persist. This is either due to traditions set forth a long time ago, or through the willingness of would-be victims themselves. This was suggested by someone who claims to represent a fraternity. The would-be victims supposedly voluntarily submit themselves to initiations, despite knowing that the rites would include violence.
The irony of it is that the act is being supported by no less than someone who is supposed to protect the people—former top cop, now Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who insists hazing is what helps transform PMA cadets into warriors.
“Just imagine, kung itong mga civilian universities mayroong hazing, mas more ang military academy. Imagine-in ninyo. Tine-train ang mga tao diyan para maging warriors,” Dela Rosa said in reaction to the death of PMA cadet Darwin Dormitorio in the hands of his upperclassmen.
In Laguna, the apparent ignorance of the law appears to be the excuse of members of Tau Gamma Phi in “torturing” neophyte Jonathan Concordia.
According to Nestor Reyes who claims to be the spokesman of the fraternity, the Anti-Hazing Law (take note of the word “anti”) is not prohibiting hazing but is only about regulating it.
In fact, Reyes said they have reduced the number of paddle hits to 20 hits. Also, he puts the blame on Concordia whom he said, voluntarily submitted himself to the initiation.
Of course, the national leadership of the Tau Gamma Phi was quick to refute Reyes. In a statement issued by the fraternity leadership, signed by lawyers Rommel Oliva and Jeremiah Villanueva in their capacity as president and chairman of the board, respectively, and Tau Gamma Phi Founding Fathers Rodolfo Comfesor, Roy Ordinario and Talek Pablo, the fraternity strongly denounced the violent ritual accorded to Concordia.
In their statement, the fraternity leaders lamented “there are still several misguided members of the fraternity who simply refused to embrace the “no-contact policy” that the Mother Chapter and the Founders are advocating and propagating. Even as a recently-created Task Force Global Triskelion is in the process of disseminating alternative rituals that conform to the guidelines of the Anti-Hazing Law, there are still some members who refuse to adopt to the changing times, and worse, refuse to comply with the law. That is what some members who still openly espouse the policy of hazing and publicly display posts wielding paddles in social media are—they are law violators and as such liable to the consequences under the law.”
“Let it be recalled that as early as 2014, in the wake of a hazing incident involving another chapter, the UP Tau Gamma Phi already came out with a pronouncement making it clear its stand for the fraternity to strictly abide by the Anti-Hazing Law for those aspiring to join the fraternity. Said pronouncement was fully supported by the three Founding Fathers who affixed their signatures to the Declaration enjoining all members of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity to stop adhering to a violent and unregulated old initiation rites process that has led to senseless death and injury and had brought infamy to our fraternity,” the statement further read.
“In line with our ‘No Contact Policy; and the recent unfortunate incident allegedly involving members from the Laguna State Polytechnic University, we, the members of the UP Tau Gamma Phi, strongly denounce and express our condemnation of all kinds of physical harm and violence as a requisite for admission into our fraternity. The Mother Chapter and Founders will not, and can never, support, tolerate or condone any activity that runs counter to its 2014 Declaration,” the leaders said.
“Let those responsible for this act be accountable for their actions. The Tau Gamma Phi should never serve as a haven for violators of the law,” they said.
Well, that’s how a leader should stand, and not condone the acts of others simply because they are fraternal brothers or just because it had been the tradition of their school since time immemorial.
And unless we have leaders like these who value life and justice more than their fraternal relationships, these violent rituals will never cease.