Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Speak out: That plan to ban fraternities By Crischellyn D. Abayon University of the Philippines Cebu College
THE University of the Philippines (UP) administration is now taking steps to stop all fraternity-related violence.
UP President Emerlinda Roman, in a statement dated Sept. 20, said that she is entertaining the idea of banning fraternities in UP.
The banning of fraternities in schools was earlier suggested by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago after the death of Cris Anthony Mendez, a student from the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG).
Mendez was believed to be a victim of hazing during the initiation rites of the Sigma Rho fraternity.
But many students in the University of the Philippines Cebu College campus oppose the plan.
Rachel Mae Sarmiento, a member of the UP-Sagabay, a socio-political organization, said hazing has already been banned but the tradition of fraternities is just difficult to change.
“Actually depende naman ‘yon sa mga fraternities if gusto nila baguhin yung image nila. Matatawag bang brotherhood o sisterhood yun if they themselves are hurting their so-called brods?
A fraternity neophyte (name withheld) said she wants to join the fraternity where she is now a neophyte because of its objective to help the community.
“Definitely, I am against that plan (to ban) because that is unfair to the fraternities that are not doing hazing and exists only to help the community.”
On what fraternities should do to stop being linked to hazing and violence, she said: “They should just do their job in helping the community.”
Angelica Odias, who is not a member of any fraternity, also opposed the plan and considered it a form of oppression.
“That is very ironic because UP is about freedom and banning fraternities does not justify that.”
She added that fraternities should also do all the necessary steps to help and make the community feel that their groups are for the common good.
The officer-in-charge of NCPAG, Maria Olivia Domingo, said in the Sept. 5 issue of The Daily Tribune that, “many colleges have ‘contemplated’ to ban fraternities but let go of the plan.”
