I had refrained from posting about the death of Cris Mendez the past few days, because it might be misconstrued as a politicized statement, no matter how genuine my intentions might be. First, because I am a member of the Upsilon Sigma Phi; second, because I’m an officer of STAND-UP, where the implicated fraternity is highly associated with during campus elections. A knee-jerk reaction (even from me) might have caused more trouble or problems that the ones already at hand. But this shall go beyond my affiliations. I have been asked why I haven’t blogged about this nor said anything. Let me then at least speak as a UP student, and perhaps, as a new recruit myself. (I was recruited late January this year).
I only knew Cris as one of my classmates in English 10 when we were both freshmen. He never seemed to be the type of guy who would join a fraternity. So was I, anyway. I assume he never thought he would one day join a frat, the same way I never imagined joining one for my first three years in UP. Eventually, however, on our last year in UP, we both found ourselves invited into these formations. For me, it was because I was convinced and I still believe in the ideals of the fraternity I have joined, and in the relevance in general of fraternities in the university and in society. For Cris, I do not know how the implicated fraternity recruited him, perhaps he was convinced the same way I was, or perhaps as some accounts claim, he was forced, I really don’t know.
Nevertheless, I am one with everyone who is deeply saddened, depressed and enraged by Cris’ tragic death. I am one with your prayers. I don’t know what else I can say that hasn’t already been said. Some people, though they share in the present outcry, surrender to what they believe will be an inevitable slump in the issue. Let that serve as a challenge to us all not to forget Cris Mendez’s death, the way other alleged frat-related deaths have been burrowed. Let us seek for justice till it has been served.
Let this not be, however, serve as an opportune time for some people to lynch on ALL fraternities. The historical contribution of fraternities in our university and in our country’s history cannot be argued. Countless of our bureaucratic leaders on one side and heroes, martyrs, and even activists and rebels, on the other side, are fraternity members. Fraternities were borne out of progressive ideals, and of ideals of service to the university, the country and the people. I wish all fraternities should just continue, even intensify, living up to their ideals and that’s it.
law student, national democracy activist, film school graduate, photography hobbyist
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“Fraternities were borne out of progressive ideals, and of ideals of service to the university, the country and the people. ” -> Pwede ba Bikoy, sa ibang post mo ito ilagay. Tama bang ilagay yan sa isang post (together with Chris Mendez’ death)
Anyhow, buti naman at nagpost ka about Chris Mendez. Iniitay ko talaga ang post mo eh. Kung nanahimik ka, ssbhn ko sa panel na i-reject ang thesis mo.
lovelove xp
we can never really opt to say that fraternities should stop, after all it is their in our culture, im not a frat man or what, ok lang naman sna yan pero bakit naman tlaga pinasosobrahan?!!! mga estudyante at edukado naman din yung pumapalo ah! this is not the first time i think u.p or other schools na may namatay dahil sa hazing, this should be a lection to others who want to join this kind of org.
Banning fraternities is not the solution, it is like throwing the baby with the bathwater. And I think it is up to UP students like you, Bikoy – whether this will be like what happened before, if justice eludes Cris – it will be any UP student’s call.
writing about it is already doing your share in bringing justice to Cris. It’s a first step. It’s up to those concerned to own up or cooperate to the authorities.
The frustrating thing is that this isn’t the first time hazing resulted in death. Every now and then, merong namamatay. I get the idea that there’s a sense of tradition in all these initiation rites. But when kids — not even adults! — die and get dumped in a hospital hoping that somebody would do his/her hospital job, it only reveals that up to now some initiators don’t know when to stop. Has any frat member actually developed an indicator that states when “physical test” ends and brutality begins para walang mamatay?
Regarding ideals, ideals don’t change. But how people choose to express them does. In the case of Cris, I don’t see any “ideals” in abandoning a comrade (kesho neophyte or hindi) or disappearing from the eye of the public (and of fellow frat members.)
Students don’t join frats/sororities because they aim to contribute something to their school or country. Folks join-in because of the connections it will provide and a twisted sense of self-endowed prestige. Contributions are secondary motives.
Those contributions that you speak of, you mean to tell me that they can’t be accomplished without being part of a group? I’d like to believe that any constructive contribution can be achieved without being hazed into a formation.
As much as I hope that the outcry will not wane down and individuals will man up for the consequences of their actions , I don’t think Cris will be the last to die of hazing.
While it is undeniable that fraternities and sororities have contributed well to our society, it is also undeniable that this practice of initiating a neophyte to the organization through hazing, whatever angle you look at it, is not justifiable. No, I’m not calling to put a stop to forming groups such as fraternities. Only that these organizations examine themselves, their goals and how they attain such goals, so that they may truly answer the question: is hazing really that necessary?
My sister joined a sorority when she was at your age. She joined only to have something to write in her resume.
I would agree with you that:
“Let this not be, however, serve as an opportune time for some people to lynch on ALL fraternities. ”
And from what I have read it probably is the time that justice should be served. (i) Let the full brunt of the law fall upon those who perpetrated , helped, and covered-up this crime. (ii) Perhaps it is also time for the Fraternities to self-police and enact policy that this will not happen again, aside from issuing a statement condemning the acts. Failing to do so would invite condemnation and more than angry I fear. crowd of villagers with torched ready to burn down the frat house.
“Let this not be, however, serve as an opportune time for some people to lynch on ALL fraternities. “
nice post bikoy. like eka, i was sort of curious about how you’d react.
btw, my dad was once a fratman. which is why i don’t want to generalize them as paddle-happy people. but then again, this cycle of violence should be stopped. akala ko pa naman natuto na tayo kina nino calinao at alex icasiano. boy was i ever wrong.
i agree..
Hazing has got to stop. I bet it isn’t even the present students who do the most damage. I bet its the old boys. Upsilon. Argsh. Hanggang ngayon ba pataasan pa rin ng ihi ang mga frat sa UP? Ano ba? Pahabaan pa rin ba?
Diyos ko. Kamamatay ni Dennis Venturina nung freshie ako. Tapos sina Alex Icasiano at Nino Calinao. Senseless deaths. Namatay dahil sa ano? Para maipakita kung sino’ng pinaka-macho?
Bright young men. You put them together and they lose their heads.
Sana hindi nanaman makalimutan tong kaso ni Cris Mendez. Pagkapasok ko sa UP Los Banos, may namatay din dahil sa hazing. Ayun, wala nang balita tungkol sa kaso ni Along. Siguro kung may mga taong magsasalita lang na may alam sila, mas magiging mabilis ang proseso ng mga kasong katulad nito.
Last week nga may namatay din sa UPLB, nabangga. Pero lasing ata sila. Sigh, life is so short.
fair point, bikoy.
however, i’ve a different take on that: this is definitely an opportune time to lynch all fraternities who promote the culture of violence, because of which Cris Mendez is now dead, if they do not take steps to condemn and reject this culture.
how else can these organizations claim that they are truly living up to their ideals and virtues?
(not that with “lynch” i mean violence, you understand; turning them into pariahs is what i mean.)
condolence to the family o cris mendez,,,,, we hope for the justice!!! at sana panagutan ng mga nagkasala ang kasalanan nila sayo!!!!
I really liked that last statement. It’s so… cute.
I agree that infliction of physical pain is an outdated mode of initiation. It has lost it’s logic in it’s present times, well, maybe I never found logic in it to begin with. I’ll give a more careful treatment of the subject, but Patricia Evangelista’s column last Saturday is also a worthwhile link.
I am just enraged how people are silenced by this senseless killings. The Malu Fernandez brouhaha has elicited more response, to think that nobody died from reading her stupid article. If frats/sororities, fratmen and women are serious about ending this tradition of violence, my challenge is this: that your frat or sorority release a condemnation of these hazings and a commitment to a hazing-free initiation rites.
I have just read the official statemet of the UP Law Student body on the death of Mendez and this is what I have to say: cut the crap!! I have enough of your cry for temperance. This is the only statement I need to hear from you and your orgs: WE CONDEMN HAZING AND WE WILL NEVER CONDUCT HAZING FOR INITIATION RITES EVER AGAIN. Simple and clear, you don’t have to be a lawyer to say that!!!
Another spate of violence rocked the premier university supposedly the haven for human rights lovers! Let’s put an end to this barbaric killings!!!
I agree… banned organizations usually go underground. If this happens, the consequences are a little more frightening…
Fraternities or any other organizations that condone violence should all re-check their rules-slash-traditions and decide what they’re really working for. Change should start from within.
It truly makes me sad.
It makes me even feel worse knowing that this won’t be resolved in the near future. Hay. Poor kid.
REVOLTING is too tame a word to describe the conspiracy of silence among officers and members of the Sigma Rho fraternity. A promising young man had died, and they have his blood on their hands. Yet no one have come forward to be man enough to admit anything, or even to be sorry for what happened. Only beasts can willingly take part in such a dastardly cover-up and not feel even a tinge of guilt in their being.
But we ordinary mortals who do not belong to their elitist enclave can do something to break their self-serving silence. If the members of this fraternity who are now leaders in society, business and the government, and fancy calling themselves “honorables”, cannot come forward to condemn the brutality of their own “blood” brothers, let it be us who expose them for the cowards that they really are. And for those who are directly involved in the actual hazing and the subsequent cover-up through their sacred code of silence, let us give them what they deserve. For the doctor who brought Chris to the hospital and promptly disappeared, let him be stripped of his license ““ he does not do his oath any justice. For the leaders of the Sigma Rho fraternity, disbar them ““ how can they defend or dispense justice if they could not even provide it to someone who they want to be one of their own? For the administrators of UP Diliman, remove them ““ their silence is an implicit complicity in this most heinous cover-up. And for the students who know the truth but choose to be silent, kick them out of UP ““ they do not deserve a single centavo from the taxes that we pay to keep them in school. They hit Chris where it hurts most – until he paid with his life. Let us hit back where it will hurt most – a life so broken by their own refusal to own up to this barbaric act.
I never liked Senator Juan Ponce Enrile for so many reasons, but he earned my respect for stepping forward and condemning his own fraternity for the barbaric rites it has come to embrace. I challenge all right thinking citizens to come forward and expose the other members of this fraternity. And when they are finally exposed, let them explain their participation in this conspiracy of silence. The vicious cycle of violence must be finally broken, and the time is now. If these cowards hiding behind the mantle of protection from their fraternity brothers sitting on thrones of power refuse to admit, repent and reform, then let us not and we should not stand idly while they make beasts out of our future leaders.
Honorable Gentlemen, your pregnant silence on this senseless death is simply unfathomable. If you cannot exert your influence to give justice to the victim and reform your fraternity, then the least you can do as a decent human being is to come forward, be sorry for being associated with this fraternity and resign from it posthaste. What do Jovito Salonga, Franklin Drilon, Edgardo Angara, Rolex Sulpico, Luis Villafuerte, Sonny Angara, Simeon Datumanong, Simeon Marcelo, Frank Chavez, Antonio Carpio, Presbiterio Velasco, among other illustrious members of this fraternity have to say? Will they stay silent and deny that they do not have the blood of Chris Mendez in their hands as well?
“when we do good things no one ever cares when we commit mistakes no one ever forgives”
if sigma rho farternity is the one responsible for the death of cris mendez that maxim is applicable if not forget it. we often have a problem about pre-judgement i mean there is no yet investigation in the alleged fraternity violence that relates the mentioned fraternity and all of the fraternity is against the odds right now, even misguided fraternity members are riding the ignorance of common people just to catch the heart of many dramatic poor individuals for the sake of their popularity.
but that is not my point, as a member of a greek letter fraternity in our university (not in UP) i agree with bikoy, men especially the media didn’t realize that most of fratmen in our society do something good for our very own national advancement, and inside their own respected campuses they are proving something in academics, sports, and politics. heading student activism doing things that is unusual and risky is a character of one member of any fold or fraternity bringing their lives at stake for truth and justice and often times they are branded as a radical activist.
but in this very moment, we are branded as an elite and educated kind of gang and as a filipino version of mafia no we are not like that, it is really hard to understand if you are not a fratmen the camraderie we feel everytime we call each other as brod, the determination we give everytime we feel pain be it mental or physical and we are not using the fraternity as are connection for landing into a nice job or in other descriptive favor for are very own sake, but we are using the fraternity as an inspiration to work hard to continue the culture of excellence and to be like are elder brods.
fraternity is not an instigator it is an organization with deep meaning cannot be descibed and destroy by anyone. so please we love our fraternity don’t blame us all.
my condolence to the family and close friends of cris mendez we are one with you in seeking for truth and justice.
Does the truth hurt, b.a.? Do I sense some tinge of guilt in there, trying to hide behind all the denials?
No one disputes the significant contribution of fraternities. Many of the movers and shakers of our country count themselves among this “brotherhood”. So you can stop justifying the existence, the noble deeds, the lofty vision and mission. Nobody is disputing that. But that is not the point in all this.
The point is, Cris Mendez is but the latest in a long list of victims and casualties. But to farternity members who made it through the bloody and brutal rites, he is just one of the unlucky – maybe unworthy ones. For somebody who endured the gory rites, the humiliation and the pain, the sense of heroic achievement can cloud the dark side of the ideals of “brotherhood” these fraternities offer. Violence and even death is but a small price to pay at the altar of excellence and camaraderie.
Come to think of it, aren’t wife beaters and child abusers known to be good husbands and loving fathers from the outside? That is why we have the battered wife syndrome. After the near-death beatings, they lavish their victims with attention, love and gifts. And the poor wife, with her frail body black and blue from the beatings, declares to entire world, “see, my husband loves me!”
Still surprised that the cycle of violence could not be broken?
I totally agree.
It is rare to see students join fraternities or sororities for the group’s ideals. These groups are actually the first one to break the rules when they should be the ones upholding it. In UP Manila, it is not allowed t join a fraternity or sorority during your freshman year but I know a lot of groups recruiting freshmen.
Students join these groups so they can have a place in the society. They can get connections. It’s all about power and sometimes wealth. They are mere social climbers (I am not generalizing. There are a few who really believe in the ideals of the group and uphold those ideals. Maybe I’m judging to quickly, but after 4 years in UP, I have seen a lot. I have seen my classmates missed subjects [and sometimes getting dropped] because they are doing something for the group).
I’m not saying that fraternities and sororities should be abolished but RESPONSIBILITY from its members. Being part of one does not mean you can get away with anything! These guys are UP students! They are supposed to be smart!
“shout for justice, rock for cris: a benefit concert for cris anthony mendez”
all proceeds will go to cris’ brother renz (for college education). september 28, bahay ng alumni UP Diliman QC.
punta po tayo
Kung ako ang namatayan, hindi makukulong kung sino man ang pumatay. Hahanapin ko lang naman siya/sila at ipaparamdam ko sa kanya/kanila kung ano ginawa nila. Doble sa ginawa nila. Kung pinalo nila ng 100x then 200x sa kanila. Doble rin ang bigat ng pampalo ko sa kanila. Pero hindi ko sila papatayin, bubuhayin ko sila para mas maramdaman nila ang bigat ng ginawa nila.
pls delete the first one. here’s the proofread one:
I just wish you expounded on why there is a need for frats at all; why there’s a need for that kind of initiation at all; what void frats/frat initiations fill in the ego, in society, etc., if any; how society and the world would be a lot worse without frats; how a frat is not merely yet another form of elitism; how its agenda is pure and not tainted by the desire to have advantageous social connections; how university boys won’t become men and “barbarians” wouldn’t be civilized without it; why fraternities aren’t really for social prestige and long-term job security; how these cliques aren’t really like little Mafias that exclude non-members from certain job positions and sectors of the workforce; how frats aren’t like secret societies with fishy practices; how exactly they have reformed much after what happened to Lenny Villa, among others; how hazing is actually character-building (manly character, in particular) and that it may be condoned, instead of condemned, especially in case of frat initiations; how the hazer and the hazed affirm their manhood and the thought of pain and torture bonds them for life; etc. etc. I really want to do a lengthy post on this. Oh, I just did.
Inabangan ko rin kung pano ka sasagot sa isyung ito, pero mukhang napaka-late na ata ng pagbasa ko.
Pero ito lang kuya Bikoy, kailangan ba talagang bugbugin ang isang tao para lang mapabilang sa isang grupo?
UP – ang walang kwentang school na alam ko dahil sa pagkamatay ni Cris MendeZ. UP law students – mga bulok dahil ni hindi nila alam ang salitang hustisya… Nakakahiya kayo. Pweh….!
Kung matalino ka, dapat alam mo kung papaano ipaglaban ang pagkamatay ni Cris. Pero alam ko BOBO ka o TAKOT ka lang.
unang una, ano ang nagbigay sa yo ng ideya na dapat kong ipagtanggol ang pagkamatay ng isang tao, na kapwa ko graduating student sa UP at naging kaklase ko pa?
Dahil alam ko may magagawa ka.
Alam ko may magagawa ka dahil alam ko na alam mo kung papaano pinahirapan si Cris. Sa papagitan ng mga ideya mo, kahit papaano magkakaroon ng saysay ang pagkamatay ni Cris, na kapwa mo graduating student sa UP at naging kaklase mo pa. Sana ipakita mo hindi lang sa blog mo.
Sorry talaga. Sana balang araw mapanood ko ang mg documentaries at short films na gagawin mo pa lang. Nabasa ko lahat. Napakagaling mo…
Let me address one of the issues some of your questions raise. This mafia, job secutiry, social prestige allegations are really passe.
One only has to look at one of the more infamous fratmen in our history to debunk this. If indeed frats are venues for political and social accomodation, then Ferdinand Marcos wouldn’t have jailed or persecuted his brod Ninoy Aquino. Ninoy Aquino wouldn’t have confronted his senior brod. Marcos wouldn’t have accomodated Sigma Rhoan Johnny Enrile over his other brods. He wouldn’t have jailed them either. He wouldn’t have persecuted his Communist brods. Leftist Upsilonians wouldn’t have defied their senior. Even if you look at law offices around the country today, you would see that even firms owned by Sigma Rhoans include Upsilonians and non-fraternity members in their roster of lawyers. No company in its right mind would prioritize mere fraternal connections over personal merit and competency. Give me a company which abuses this fraternal accomodation beyond reason. Brods employed by other brods never got there simply because they were brods but because they earned the positions through their own merit. Their advantage of course, is simply fraternal references, the same way we invoke references through associations (ex. we went to the same school, we’re from the same town, etc.) and similar experiences.
In other words, this idea of super exclusivity has really been so abused.
Don’t tell me you have a problem when brods help each other in times of need in their individual capacity. True, that may be considered a fraternal advantage. But don’t we all invoke other associations (as per previous example, we went to the same school, we’re from the same town, etc.) when we ask for help or lend a hand, more so in frats when the other party is someone you consider a brother.
Delete mo nalang lahat. Magaling ka pala sa photography.
Pasensya na talaga.
I hope that UP students can continue to ask for justice, call for reforms and demand true and lasting changes. I wrote an entry for Cris Mendez on my weblog. It’s titled “A Song for Cris Anthony Mendez – Blowin in the Wind by Bob Dylan.” I posted it here: http://lestercavestany.com/?p=11
Bikoy, galing ito sa isinulat ni Prof. Luis Teodoro:
hoy, frat-fart! you’re saying up is a nonsense school based on a single event in its 100 years of chevelyn chenes…
think of its students who actively partake in “different” kinds of “struggles” to bring about societal change…
think of its students who have made contributions to the society (read: ninoy aquino, etc… not to forget eugene domingo and that accent of hers in kokey
)
we’d like you to know that not all students in UP have the same take on every issue…
pweh ka rin.
You can watch stories about frat violence on ProbeTV.com
“FRAT – FART” – ‘sang school/university/college/home schooling ka ba galing?? nag-UPCAT ka ba o natakot na ndi makapasa?? me kamag-anak ka ba atleast na galing UP who could have educated you about reality and issues in society???
do you know the issues surrounding the death of Mendez, atleast?? or are you just taking everything out from TV??
your reactions are fine, only that it shows you really don’t know shit… about the issue… so sad on your part…
Sigh… yet another tragedy.
Have they talked to the doctor yet?
isko21 – we’d like you to know that not all students in UP have the same take on every issue”¦
Kaya ba mas marami ang nanonood ng UP oblation run kesa sa vigil na ginanap sa pagkamatay ni Cris? Ganyan ba kayong mag-isip sa issue- sa krimen na ginawa kay Cris? Nasaan ang sistema na sinasabi ninyo?
the doctor is in hiding dahil sya ang primary suspect currently…
tapos empleyado pa sya ng VMMC and at the same tym Sigma Rho sya at ang anak nya na involved sa incident
pinaka grabe kaso nya ngayon dahil sya ang nagdala ng body, tapos sya ang identified…
flight response nalang ginagawa nya to evade capture
the next tym he appears will be on TV w/ hand cuffs unless he testifies against the members of Sigma Rho and be a state witness
The National College of Public
Administration & Governance(UP
NCPAG)-PULSE (a student political party)
has organized a BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE
LATE CRIS MENDEZ, a UP Public Administration Student and
a student leader who died of fraternity
hazing last August.
“Cris was a simple man with great dreams
and ambitions not for himself but for
others. He wanted to be able to finish
the construction of their home in Quezon
province and sustain his brother’s
education.”
The concert will be held on SEPTEMBER
27, UP BAHAY NG ALUMNI, 7PM (Tickets @
Php100). All proceeds shall go to the
scholarship fund of Cris’ brother.
Your support in this project will not
only help a humble and grieving family,
but in the struggle to end the culture
of violence ultimately.
JUSTICE FOR CRIS, JUSTICE FOR ALL!
END THE CULTURE OF VIOLENCE!
here’s a blog about cris’ life before joining that frat. it might help place things/discussions about why he joined. thanks.
http://onatsgarcia.multiply.com/journal/item/10/A_life_less_ordinary_Cris_Anthony_Mendez_20
here’s a blog about cris’ life before joining that frat. it might help place things/discussions about why he joined in perspective. thanks.
http://onatsgarcia.multiply.com/journal/item/10/A_life_less_ordinary_Cris_Anthony_Mendez_20