In the wake of another hazing-related death, people are once again reminded of how dangerously hazing claims lives. Since the Anti-Hazing Law of 2018 that criminalizes initiation rites that involve physical harm and violence was pushed through, fraternities should have stopped practicing hazing in their initiation rites but recent cases expose the opposite.
With the recent victim of hazing initiation dying at the hands of his fraternity brothers, the culture of violence lives on as he received around 70 blows which resulted in his fateful demise.
Instead of being taken to the hospital, his supposed “brods” buried him in a shallow grave, leaving him there until his body was found 10 days later, in a progressing phase of decomposition. Brotherhood in a grim and eerie light, perhaps?
Many wonder why hazing is a thing when brotherhood loyalty prioritizes not harming their own. In online forums, people say that organizations as such should not require such violence for them to be a part of their community. Some tease why cannot someone enter a fraternity with just a high five? To answer this joking question seriously, hazing in fraternities is deeply rooted in its culture. This can be dated back to the Grecian times when torment and oppression were used to solidify the superiority of upper-class men.
But this act has been long frowned upon by people and the law since it has caused fatalities, so why do the modern-day "brotherhoods" commit these heinous acts? What are Philippine lawmakers doing to bust these fraternities that still practice hazing?
Those who still believe in practicing hazing in initiations say that it is for the sake of tradition. They went through the same thing and neophytes should go through what they did.
Rite of passage is common in tribes and secret societies, thus, commencing ceremonies to welcome new members is customary. However, if these ceremonies and rituals cause harm and can potentially kill a person, this antagonizes the very point of vying to become a member—a brother.
Since there have been 36 deaths in the Philippines due to hazing, this has been outlawed. Horacio “Atio” Castillo III was a law student studying at the University of Santo Tomas when he was recruited by Aegis Juris and was beaten to his death in 2017. After his death, Republic Act No. 11053, also known as the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 has been passed.
This revised law is a stronger version of the past one and anyone who participates in the act of hazing can be penalized with reclusion perpetua or lifetime imprisonment.
Still, this tradition of violence carries on since many fraternities honor priorities beyond the law. Now that another student died from hazing, lawmakers are probing into adding more teeth to the law.
The code of silence in fraternities tolerates these acts leading to many of these initiation rites still undetected by the law. The only hope for these crimes to stop is when fraternities realize that the perpetuation of the tradition of violence needs to come to an end.
Fraternities need to realize that there are laws to abide by. It is time to rethink traditions that are unproductive and harmful. If all of these acts are done in the name of tradition, what sense does tradition hold if it causes harm?
Hazing has claimed many young lives before the recent death added to the toll. The promise of brotherhood needs to be fulfilled by these fraternities from the get-go. Do no harm, do no injustice, and in the words of Tau Gamma Phi’s motto: do not use force as a reason.
In terms of schools, they should be safe spaces for students to harp on their future, not a place where they can meet people offering camaraderie and eventually slay them.
Students seek refuge in brotherhood during their studying years because fraternities promise to help and guide them through this time. Schools should be helpful and guiding enough for these students to know their rights and explore safe spaces.
During the last hours of every victim who succumbed to the unforgiving hands of hazing, is brotherhood still a recurring thought? Pain is a language of a lot of things but to most, pain is an indicator of the end—not much of a beginning.
If the academic and social systems that these students experience are forged to be tolerable to cope with, perhaps these students would not see the slightest consideration in risking safety or sanity in line. Schools have a responsibility to safeguard their students, and they should be the first ones to stifle these horrendous acts.
As a society that mourns the loss of the young lives lost to hazing, it is imperative to look into every aspect of what propagates this culture. It should be a collective responsibility for everyone to try to stop this. This should be the last headline of lives lost at the cruel consequences of hazing. As Winston Churchill said, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”—when will we turn "condolences" into changes?
Article: Katrina Isabel Valerio
Graphics: Cathlyn De Raya
Comments