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Thursday, August 10, 2006
Gayotin calls anew: Tag 2 frats criminal
The issue on declaring the two warring fraternities Alpha Kappa Rho (Akrho) and Tau Gamma Phi as criminal groups was revived yesterday following an attack last Monday afternoon that left one Akrho member dead and another injured.
Cebu City Police Chief Melvin Gayotin is also considering recommending to the Cebu City Government to pass an ordinance banning the existence of both fraternities and any fraternities engaged in violent activities.
“Almost all the agencies have been trying to solve these frat wars. We need stricter laws to solve this problem,” he said.
Gayotin said it has now reached a point that the local government needs to take a stronger action against fraternities that have long been involved in violence.
Shot
At 2 a.m. yesterday, a 26-year-old man was shot by an unidentified gunman along Figuerroa and C. Padilla sts., Barangay Sawang Calero, Cebu City.
Homicide investigators are verifying reports that the victim, identified as Rolando C. Canoy of Tupaz St., Sawang Calero, was a fraternity member.
Canoy was on his way home from a vigil when the attack happened.
Declaring Akrho and Tau Gamma as criminal groups is no longer new as Senior Supt. Vicente Loot, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, also raised this idea in September last year.
Gayotin, however, clarified that these ideas, particularly the ban of fraternities, will only be possible if the Cebu City Government agrees to his recommendation by passing an ordinance.
Officials from both fraternities, in separate interviews with Sun.Star Cebu, however, considered Gayotin’s plan unfair.
Akrho regional president Richard Buscaino and a Tau Gamma spokesperson, who requested anonymity, said that for the past several months there have been no major incidents involving both fraternities.
Buscaino and the Tau Gamma spokesperson said they have been true to their promise of keeping the peace since the mediation of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Loot late last year.
Buscaino said Akrho is a legitimate fraternity and banning them in Cebu City is not feasible.
“We are victims. Are victims now considered criminals?” he said.
Akrho is planning to ask the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 for help in coming up with a cartographic sketch of the gunman of frat member identified only as Glenn from Tuburan town and a 16-year-old member who was injured in the shooting last Tuesday.
The shooting along the corner of Panganiban and Sanciangko sts. marred the 33rd founding anniversary celebration of Akrho.
Buscaino also said it is irrational to accuse the rival fraternity of carrying out the crime because the Homicide Section is still investigating the attack.
“What if he was a robber,” Buscaino said, referring to the gunman.
He said if the Tau Gamma really intended to mar the anniversary of Akrho, the attack would have been carried out during the motorcade.
The Tau Gamma Phi Cebu Provincial Council, in a statement yesterday, also denounced and was saddened by the incident.
“It does not make any logical sense that the TGP Cebu Council would order or condone such an act especially now that both groups are enjoying the peace and it is the perfect opportune time to move on and serve the community,” the statement said.
“With prayer, we hope Akrho will not resort to retaliation but instead seek justice through legal means to prevent the situation from escalating and at the same time maintain the peace,” the statement also said.
Acting Chief of the Homicide Section Erlando Metante, in a separate interview, said that the initial information they gathered did not indicate that the shooting was fraternity-related.
However, he said they have not ruled this out as one of the angles. (JST)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 10, 2006 issue)
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