You big bully!

What an irony.  If the President can decide on Cadet Cudia’s fate so easily, why can’t he use the same iron hand on his best friends in the cabinet who have clearly messed up our system leading to the uncontrolled use of our very own tax money?

If the President were more consistent in his actions then it would be a different story.  If he wants to discipline everyone in the right way using his ‘daang matuwid’ principle, then he should spare no one, no one at all.

Lex dura est, sed lex – the law is harsh, but it is the law and it excuses no one – not even the President. 

*      *      *

Last week, Guillo, a young student full of promises, lost his life in a barbaric fraternal rite ironically perpetrated by supposed “brothers” he would have enjoyed life with, had he survived. Another student from a premier state university was also hospitalized after a violent hazing ceremony. Two schools, one banning and the other recognizing fraternities...same result...HAZING.

When will this stop? Why must a person be humiliated, maimed or even killed in the name of brotherhood? Why not admit a brother to an organization for his ability to contribute something good rather than his capacity to withstand pain?

Let me share a true story of Joaquin, a fratman so that you will understand better what this fraternity is all about.

“In a long queue during enrolment in 2002, a fellow student befriended me and gave me tips on how to survive law school. During freshmen orientation, I was again approached by the same person who promised to give me copies of magic notes and sample exams of my professors.

After about a week, I was given a photocopy of notes in Criminal Law 1. I was so thankful. He then started to recruit me into joining his fraternity but I said my parents have cautioned me against joining. He said I will need protection from bullies and I will be sure of passing grades with the help of the fraternity.

Yet, I stood firm in my decision not to join because my father, a policeman in the province, told me that fraternity hazing could result to death. I was pestered the next few days. My friend assured me that they do not hurt neophytes because they are also professionals. He even said they abhor hazing and that the school supervises initiation rites. I was told to memorize the revised penal code and to jog around and do push-ups. In confidence, he said that the only pain in the process was a drop from a candlelight if I could not recite the revised penal code.

Weeks passed and I had more friends in school, but my “helpful” friend still bothered me, now with threats that since I already used their frat notes, the other frat members might take it against me for being an opportunist. I was bullied by the group who promised me protection against bullies. My anxiety turned into fear and then one day in July 2002, I joined the initiation rites.

I lied to my parents telling them I will have to join a study group overnight. I was thinking that with a school-supervised initiation rite nothing could go wrong. I thought the song and dance number, 10 rounds jogging in the school quadrangle, push-ups, jumping jacks, questions on first year law subjects, and memorizing frat motto and priorities, were all it takes to be a member. I was wrong. After two hours, I and six other neophytes, were told we are already “in.” We got hugs from about twenty “brods” and then one of them yelled “let us go and celebrate” and the others chanted swimming, swimming.

We set out to Bulacan and I was thinking maybe we were going to a resort. When we reached a secluded place, we were told that we were admitted as “sissies” and before we could be called “brods”, we had to go through what every brod went through. My friend was the first to welcome me with a strong paddle blow that brought me down to my knees. My protestations were met by more blows and then kicks and then a whip every now and then. They told me, if I shed sweat, tears and blood to get something, I will learn to love and value it with my life. This is the justification for every strike of the whip and fist blow I received during the “true” initiation rites. They hit me so that I will love them in return.

I cannot understand the logic but I had no way out so I just prayed for the end of the day. I survived but a batchmate had to go through dialysis for a month.

While I enjoyed a renewed stature in school, the bonding time, outreach activities, drinking sprees and parties of the fraternity, I soon found out the other facets of frat life. I had to avoid associating with others, especially those from rival frats. I had to attend meetings here and there, sometimes cutting classes or losing study time. I had to pay for frat dues and other contributions for a brod in the judiciary who will be honored. I had to fight the war of a brod whose girlfriend was wooed by a guy from a rival frat. I had to stand tall and be proud even to a point of unreasonable stupidity because I am a fratman.

If I get bumped accidentally in a basketball game or I get heckled for a missed shot, I would not let it go without a threat or so because I am a fratman. Nobody messes with a fratman. These and all, I got kicked out from law school because of academic delinquency. One brod in the faculty of law even failed me. After all, survival in law school is an individual effort. I finished my law school in the province, away from my elite fraternity, and I became a lawyer on my own sweat and tears, with the love and support of my parents.

I have best friends in my fraternity but just like my father, I will tell my children not to join any fraternity. I was lucky to have survived. I cry for the father of Guillo and the parents of those who will follow him. Recognition of fraternities and the Anti-hazing law cannot prevent hazing. A fraternity is a brotherhood of the whip and no one can be a brother through a song or a dance.

Schools should be more vigilant in monitoring their students. Counseling services should be made available to advise students who feel lost and alone. We should constantly pray with our children and keep on reminding them of the perils of hazing.

Students should be penalized for recruiting neophytes, and classmates should bond together to dissuade each other from joining organizations with hazing requirements for admission. I am Joaquin, a fratman, and hopefully the last fratman in my family.”