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Thursday, October 06, 2005
16 dead, 42 violent incidents involving Akrho, Tau
Sixteen persons, mostly fraternity members, have lost their lives in the drawn-out hostilities between Alpha Kappa Rho (Akrho) and Tau Gamma Phi in the past 22 months.
According to the records of the Cebu City Police Office, from January 2004 up to last Tuesday, 42 cases were attributed to the two fraternities.
The incidents ranged from murder (13), homicide (3), frustrated/attempted murder (22) and frustrated/attempted homicide (4).
Twenty-one cases were allegedly carried out by Akrho members, while 18 cases were credited to Tau Gamma.
One was blamed on a policeman for accidentally shooting an Akrho member, while two attacks on Akrho members were carried out by two unidentified men.
Akrho member Aristotle “Ares” Aves was tagged for nine of these cases.
His counterpart in Tau Gamma, Warren “Waway” Quijano, was blamed for six of the 18 attacks his fraternity allegedly instigated.
The killing of a civilian last Jan. 12, 2004 was a turning point for the Cebu City Police Office, then under Supt. Cecil Ezra Sandalo, to declare an all-out war against the two fraternities.
Eduardo Paradero, 48, a carpenter, was caught in the crossfire during an alleged encounter between Akrho and Tau Gamma members along R. Padilla St. in Duljo-Fatima.
Paradero was riding a jeepney on his way home when it stopped for a red light on R. Padilla St. At this point, a group of Tau Gamma members appeared and allegedly shot at a group of Akrho members outside a barbershop near where the jeepney stopped.
Gunshots were heard before Paradero suddenly fell to the ground.
He was hit in the main artery of his left thigh, which caused him to bleed to death.
No one from among the Alpha Kappa Rho (Akrho) and Tau Gamma was hurt.
Members of Akrho who were involved in the incident were identified by the police as Santos de la Cruz, one Ares and a certain Jojo, while the Tau Gamma members were listed as Glen Marson and three others.
Sandalo even considered declaring the two groups as “menace to society,” but Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena said police should focus on the individual offenses of the members, and not the entire fraternity.
Despite the efforts of the police and local officials to put an end to the Akrho-Tau Gamma rivalry, fraternity-related incidents continue to rise.
Acting Cebu Provincial Police Director Vicente Loot has also considered declaring the two fraternities criminal groups.
Loot is now consolidating data that he will use as basis for his recommendation before the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) and the Police Regional Office 7.
Before the situation comes to that, though, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, RPOC chairperson, is working out a peace deal between Tau Gamma and Akrho.
Initial talks have been held at the Capitol, and the governor is optimistic both groups will eventually reach an agreement to end “the long-festering conflict.”
(October 6, 2005 issue)
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