Stop the inhuman tradition!

Another bright future has turned to nothingness. Dreams have been shattered. Another life is wasted.

Anything that recurs would either bring happiness to some or would irritate or escalate the anger to others. The news about the death of Philippine Military Academy cadet Darwin Dormitorio due to hazing brings memories of brutality despite a stronger anti-hazing law. Hazing incidents and frat-related violence have been plaguing the country’s premier military training institution and other law schools, some of which resulted in deaths. And for state-run military academies, all had their past share of hazing victims. Years ago, at PMA, plebe Monico de Guzman was believed to have died from “beat attack” upon seeking entrance in the boot camp.

And no less than a PMA alumnus and now a senator said that employing “physical contact” in instilling discipline on their underclassmen is no longer an acceptable practice.

If it is part of a disciplinary mechanism, times have changed and the cadets should be able to innovate. And this means finding ways devoid of physical contact.

For many years, hazing has existed in schools without many people knowing; more recently, however, laws are being passed against this potentially deadly ritual as people are becoming educated on the topic.

 However, and up to now, the evil of hazing, conducted in utmost secrecy has reared its ugly head from time to time, such as what happened to freshman Horacio “Atio” Tomas Castillo III of the UST Law fraternity, the “Aegis Juris” who died from violent hazing, and who had dreamt of being a lawyer. Unfortunately, however, the uproar and the national breast-beating subside, until another victim dies.

A brotherhood that seeks to harm does not come from God, but from the devil. In seeking to make sense of hazing episodes that resulted in unintended deaths, we theorize that there is perhaps a transformation from being friends to being “animalistic assailants” who lose control of themselves.

This could be the case especially if the hazing rituals are conducted under the influence of liquor and very likely even drugs in isolated places like a remote beach resort---plus very little supervision from the frat's elders and the school.

People who instigate the initiation rites are simply power-hungry, insecure, and arrogant bullies. On the other hand, people who join fraternities despite the knowledge that they would undergo such kind of initiation are individuals who themselves have insecurities and problems with their sense of belonging and social standing, the reason they needed to join a seeming brotherhood to achieve their perceived social status—a brotherhood based on power; authority; malice; subservience; and intent to hurt and humiliate, such an irony, an obvious distortion of the very concept of brotherhood.

More creative ways to undertake initiation rites such as for example, making neophytes dress like garbage collectors and actually clean up the esteros of Mahiga creek, or have them garbed in beggar’s clothes and actually beg at the Cebu Cathedral, the begging proceeds to be donated for soup kitchens. This in a way would make them attached with the societal realities.

Brutality gets brutality; such senseless physical infliction hurts both the body and soul which only the grieving mothers, their families can truly understand.

And if we would ask the brothers, I just doubt if they like such brutal rite. And I know they would also want to stop such practice if not only because of tradition. It would take for the leaders to stand and say “No more.” Enough is enough!