IMPOSING an outright ban on fraternities and sororities is not the best solution to curb violence within these organizations, said the parents of Horacio “Atio” Castillo III, the UST law freshman who died to hazing in 2017.
Horacio Castillo II, Atio’s father, said banning fraternities could drive them underground, making regulation more challenging and posing a greater danger to students.
“Ang mas gusto po natin is to [have] proper registration,” Horacio said during the “Kapihan sa Manila Prince Hotel forum on Oct. 4. “Pag may nangyaring another incident, ‘pag makuha natin itong nationwide registration ng fraternity, mapapanagot po agad ang mga salarin.”
“This would help the grieving families kasi…it will be aligned sa ibang government agencies, especially the schools,” he added. “Ito po ang magpapadali ng pagbibigay ng justice.”
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Atio died on Sept. 17, 2017 during the initiation rites of UST law fraternity Aegis Juris. He collapsed twice during the “welcome party” after being struck five times with a meter-long paddle by his “brods.”
Eight months after his death, the Office of Student Affairs directed fraternities and sororities to indefinitely “cease and desist” from recruiting members or “engaging in any kind of activities.”
On Oct. 1, the 10 Aegis Juris fratmen charged over his death were found guilty by a Manila court of violating the Anti-Hazing Law. They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to pay expenses and damages.
Horacio’s mother Carmina said the focus must be on quashing the practice of hazing, not abolishing fraternities and sororities.
“Kapag may mga sakuna, sila (frats) rin ang nangunguna sa pagtulong, sila rin ‘yong nangunguna sa pagbigay ng mga ayuda,” she said.
“So, banning sororities and fraternities, I don’t think that is right,” she added.
Carmina stressed that initiation rites could be conducted without resorting to violence, suggesting that fraternities could take the lead in ending the practice of hazing.
“Sa kanila na rin manggaling na matigil na ang hazing. We can still do the initiation pero wala nang physical harm. ‘Yon lang naman ‘yong tatanggalin natin e ‘yong paddling, physical harm,” she said.
“Let us not pass along the violence to our young ones. Let us pass along being kind naman sa ating mga kabataan,” she added.
Republic Act 11053, the country’s updated Anti-Hazing Law, bans all forms of hazing and punishes those who planned or participated in the hazing and those who were actually present during initiation rites. Marco Luis D. Beech