THE death of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cade Darwin Dormitorio and the viral Twitter post about a heavily beaten individual (allegedly a student of the University of the Philippines) and screenshots of a group chat allegedly among members of a UP fraternity are proofs that hazing, particularly in tertiary education institution-based fraternities, is still a “valued” tradition.
Cadet Dormitorio has been added to the already long list of students who senselessly lost their lives due to the tradition of violence that some fraternities still practice to this day.
Given these recent hazing incidents that were published in the traditional and social media and the obviously happening hazing incidents that were not reported or exposed, Republic Act No. 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Law of 2018 and the earlier enacted law, R.A. No. 8049, appear to have no effect in changing the culture of violence that has characterized many school-based fraternities in our country.
Will a total ban on fraternities in all schools, colleges and universities in the country solve the hazing problem?
The answer to this question requires an answer to another question – should fraternities be banned?
As fraternities (and sororities) are organizations composed of students who want to achieve or realize a shared objective or purpose, banning fraternities will mean banning all kinds of organizations in campuses.
The objective of eradicating hazing and other forms of violence-oriented practices in school-based organizations cannot be achieved simply by banning known fraternities and sororities. These organizations can easily be resurrected by assuming new names.
It appears that the time has come for our government leaders and school officials to consider stronger measures to address this problem.
One of such measures is to adopt a policy of outright expulsion for any student who will be proven to be a member of an organization that practices hazing and other violence-oriented activities or rituals. One does not have to take part in such activities to be penalized. Exemption will only be given to a student who will report such activities to school authorities.
Such policy will raise the risk for students in joining such kind of organizations. With expulsion as penalty, joining an organization that has a tradition of violence, even if such organization provides education and career benefits, will no longer make sense.
It is incumbent among school officials to adopt and enforce anti-violence policies and measures because the continued operations of organizations that value violence (like hazing) in school campuses is a manifestation of a school’s failure in its mission of education.
