THE DEATH of John Salilig at the hands of his Tau Gamma Phi brothers during his welcome rites on February 18, 2023 has led to another wave of public outcry against hazing. This collective gnashing of teeth against fraternity-related violence and death is reminiscent of the highly-celebrated case of Ateneo De Manila Law student Lenny Villa in 1991, whose promising life was ended short by his would-be brothers of the Aquila Legis.
In fact, the Lenny Villa case led to the enactment of Republic Act 8049 by the Congress through Sen. Joey Lina. Also known as the Anti-Hazing Act of 1995, its main purpose was to regulate the acts of hazing and other initiation rites in fraternities and sororities in the country. Under this law, physical harm and violence in such practices are prohibited and penalized.
With RA 8048 already in place, many fraternities and sororities started to police their own ranks in the mid-90s. Most of them have implemented the “no-contact policy” during their initiation rites.
But this would not be the case for the others. While there was a lull in the reported hazing-related cases after 1991, the law has not really prevented the paddle-wielding brothers from welcoming their neophytes using various forms of physical and psychological suffering, harm, or injury. There were many more hazing victims after Villa. Some were reported and fortunate enough to have caught media attention. For these victims, their families found consolation in the fact that civic groups supported them, and stood by their side in their fight to seek justice for their fallen sons. However, there were others whose deaths became mere statistics in the country’s continuing battle to put an end to this heinous practice.
Simply put, RA 8049 was merely punitive and not a deterrent.
Wanted: Stricter Anti-Hazing Law
In the face of continuing public clamor for stringent law and full implementation thereof, bills were passed in both the Upper and Lower House in 2016 to amend the Anti-Hazing Act. Then Majority leader Tito Sotto passed Senate Bill 223 which aimed “to impose the maximum penalty for violators under the influence of alcohol and illegal drugs as well as if a non-resident or alumni fraternity member present during the hazing rites.”
When Sen. Panfilo Lacson authored and sponsored Republic Act 11053, or the Anti-Hazing Law of 2018, many pundits viewed the amendment as a way to give teeth to the Anti-Hazing Act of 1995. Rightfully so, contained in the RA 11053 is the outright prohibition and criminalization of the act and at the same time, the provision of more substantial penalties for those who will be proven guilty.
End Hazing, Banish all Fraternities?
Now in the wake of the Salilig case, even Public Attorney Office Chief Persida Acosta has joined the fray, calling for the abolition of all fraternities and the automatic termination of their registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
While I have always taken a categorical stand against hazing and any form of violence, abolishing fraternities will not in any way end the problem. Neither can the termination of their SEC registration stop them from proliferating with added mystery and air of exclusivity – the very reason that entices neophytes wanting to belong, to be accepted and to feel a sense of brotherhood.
I would also like to believe that there are a good number of fraternities which, aside from being good training ground for future leaders, they continue to take a proactive role in today’s society. When I was still teaching Economics at the University of the Philippines in San Fernando, Pampanga I had the privilege to be the faculty adviser of two confraternities – the Pi Sigma/ Pi Sigma Delta and the Tau Gamma Phi/ Tau Gamma Sigma. The third recognized confraternity in our campus was the Sigma Kappa Pi/ Sigma Delta Pi. All three coexisted peacefully, there were no fraternity rumbles. They launched their own activities and projects every semester to keep their recognition status. They stood side by side with the other student organizations and the College Student Council to condemn and prevent the pending abolition of the UPSF campus, and then worked for the establishment of a permanent UP campus in Pampanga, which is now in Clark Angeles City.
Even some chapters of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity, either those based in the campuses or municipalities, are active in many socio-political causes and continue to launch various projects that benefit the less fortunate and marginalized sectors of the society. The Macabebe chapter of the Tau Gamma Phi for one, has always been at the forefront of the annual Brigada Eskwela of the Department of Education, the regular blood-letting of the Philippine Red Cross, the relief operations of the LGU, to name a few.
Game Plan: Stop Hazing and End Fraternity-related Death and Violence
So, the pressing question is: Aside from the full enforcement of RA 11053 and the speedy resolution of cases filed in court, what other steps can we take in order to prevent the death of another Leny Villa, John Salilig, et. al. from the hands of their would-be brothers?
We can start by asking prominent frat members occupying key positions in government and private organizations to rally their alumni, and founding fraternity brothers to talk in the open, take a unified stand by condemning hazing and any form of violence. They should pressure the current officers of their respective fraternities to abide by the provisions of the Anti-Hazing Law of 2018 and implement it unequivocally in all their operations. This move will enable them to reorganize their fraternities, recalibrate their activities and rebrand themselves as socio-civic organizations that promote the real essence of brotherhood,
And what can be done to the current set of officers and even alumni who continue to insist on doing things in the obsolete and barbaric ways? Well they can be meted with suspension or even expulsion by their national council officers. The brotherhood’s prominent members can also disassociate themselves or even resign from their fraternities if other chapters continue to conduct hazing. This was done by former senate President Jovito Salonga in 2007 when a neophyte died during an initiation of the Sigma Rho Fraternity. They could do it again if only to solidify their stand against hazing and violence.
Also needed is the involvement of the academic institutions which need to be more circumspect and consistent in giving recognition status to fraternities, monitoring their operations and evaluating their performance at the end of each school year. Clear-cut guidelines and policies have to be drawn for their continued operations in the campuses.
As for the local chapters that continue to thrive in municipalities and barangays, the LGU’s can involve them in various capacities as members of the Local School Board, Local Development Council, Local Health Board or as volunteers in the many operations of the MDRRM. The opportunities for pro-active participation are endless; all it takes is for the solid commitment of fraternities and sororities to make their real, significant and lasting mark in the local communities.
Going over these suggestions, I can’t help but recall how a colleague once quipped upon reading the news reports on Leny Villa’s case – “Nung alang makyabe kareng frats, alang dumalan hazing, alang misakitan at alang mate.”
How I wish it was that simple – for young and promising men and women to stop searching for organizations, clubs, associations, fraternities and sororities that can be their support group while traversing the many challenges of college life. Consequently, their membership in these groups can also be added factor when they start seeking employment. When looking for prospective employees, recruitment officers go beyond academic records as they also look for graduates who have shown leadership and organization skills as student leaders. It is also no secret that many alumni of these fraternities and sororities now occupy key positions in public offices and private institutions, and are always ready to take in a brother or a sister.
Really, it takes a committed, consistent and unwavering village to approach a problem as complex as these fraternities which are already part and parcel of our society’s fabric. Since we cannot eliminate them, we might as well take a multi-dimensional stand to ensure that instead of creating problems, they become part of the solution to our country’s endless woes.
(Our new columnist Rey Yumang is the school director of St. Nicholas Academy: Center of Catholic Education Inc. in Macabebe, Pampanga. He served as co-host of the highly popular Personalan talk show over Infomax-Satellite Cable Network/GNN-44 broadcasting from the City of San Fernando.)
