Monday, September 15, 2008 Council to consult public on frat activity
THE Cebu City Council has set a public hearing on a measure that seeks to regulate the recruitment of minors to fraternities and sororities.
City Council committee on laws chairman Edgardo Labella, in endorsing the proposed ordinance of Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, said minors are “not yet emancipated and are still under the protection of their parents.”
Which is why, he said, the committee finds the crafting of Jakosalem’s ordinance as “within the authority and power” of the council.
The council invited the Parents, Teachers, Community Association (PTCA) federation; parents; and guidance counselors to attend the Oct. 15-public hearing at the Doña Eva Macaraig-Macapagal Hall.
Section 3 of the proposed ordinance requires a written consent from the minor’s parents or legal guardians before fraternities can recruit them.
Fraternities, sororities and similar groups would be required to submit an updated list of their minor-members, with details of the member’s profile.
Punishment
The list should be submitted every quarter to the barangay captain where the minor-member resides.
Under the draft ordinance, the recruiter and the fraternity president are the ones who will be punished with a P3,000 fine or not more than six months imprisonment or both penalties as deemed by the courts.
While he acknowledged the constitutional right to form associations for purposes that are not contrary to law, Jakosalem said fraternities have also been implicated in many crimes and violent incidents.
“Most of these minors, however, are lured into joining these fraternities for their protection against foes and enemies, resulting in constant frat and gang wars,” he said.
He cited the principle of “parens patriae,” a doctrine that refers to the “inherent power of the State to provide protection of the person and property of the person.”
Under the doctrine, the State has the sovereign power of guardianship over the persons under disability.
In last week’s City Council session, City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., council committee on public order and safety chairman, reminded colleagues of the need for a set of guidelines on how to implement the ordinance once it is approved. (RHM)
