Horacio Castillo III UST Frat Death 2017

Mourn the death but scorn the ambition of University of Santo Tomas freshman law student Horacio Tomas Castillo III. He was killed in an initiation rite by his Aegis Juris fraternity brothers to be.  Clearly in several instances in the past, law students were killed as they undergo membership initiation to join fraternities. Castillo have misjudged the danger of enlisting into one—may he rest in peace.

We can expect more deaths from fraternity hazing especially in the law school category. This is definitely so as we see youths lust to be lawyers with the strong intent to acquire fame and wealth—the fraternity provides an instant vast network within the judiciary needed for a fruitful law practice. This is a sick notion perpetuated in the nation’s law schools. The law aims to promote good and preserve order in human society and not for grandiosity.

In today’s time, already a public knowledge, the San Beda College law based Lex Tallionis Fraternitas has gained political power & whatever bonus that comes with it with their fraternity brother Rodrigo Roa Duterte the president of the Republic of the Philippines.  Never in the local mass media coverage has a fraternity so often mentioned.

The fraternity’s power and influence can be extended with Duterte’s presidential power to appoint justices. As Rappler.com puts it, “Thus the President gets to appoint at least 12 more justices in his term. By the time his term ends in 2022, only 3 Supreme Court justices will not be his appointees: Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno (retiring in 2030), Associate Justice Marvic Leonen (retiring in 2032), and Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa (retiring in 2030).” Monopoly and dominance is non-existent in this case but the bountiful harvest is expected for years for any well placed fraternity network.

The Philippine justice system is inefficient at least if not out rightly dysfunctional. It does not deliver justice as it should. The Inquirer.net from the recent hearing of the blue ribbon committee on drugs and corruption at the Bureau of Customs has quoted senator Dick Gordon saying, ““It says here, the law is very clear, 72 hours. And it is not a small matter, small quantities of drugs. The biggest, in fact. Therefore, this judge should be brought to the Ombudsman right away,” Gordon said.” This is about the drugs seized and still kept undisposed as far as late 2016. The reason, the judge claims to be sick—a flimsy excuse.

This is an example of a classic modus to delay cases & leave it unresolved to spoil thus benefiting the culprits and depriving the victims. With this modus, lawyers need not mount a convincing argument to win but only the access to this machination will provide the win. Obvious, fraternity networks provide the facility with players getting paid handsomely.

Thus, the benefit of joining a fraternity for a young ambitious law student is worth the risk, that is before one gets killed.

Frat Neophyte Marcos and Reglos Dead By Their Own Folly

The media frenzy brought about by successive death of two freshmen law students in the span of six months in exact fashion has placed San Beda College in a bad light. The Commission of Higher Education joined in with its own rhetoric that the school is liable under the anti hazing law or Republic Act 8049. These are false and empty protestations. This article brings into this hazing controversy an investigation of the victims’ motivation and state of mind when they joined their respective fraternities. It attempts do develop an explanation of the victims’ willingness to expose themselves to violence in exchange for belongingness and camaraderie; a fault beyond any school to correct.

Jesuit priest Eduardo Hontiveros in his Filipino liturgical song titled “Pananagutan” stated, herein translated in English by Dr. Martin Bautista,  “We don’t live or die for ourselves. We are responsible for one another. Whenever we love and serve others, we proclaim the saving power of God.” Probably in their earlier learning pursuit fraternity-hazing fatality Marc Anthony Marcos and Marvin Reglos either missed, forgot, or blatantly ignored this Christian concept of responsibility when they joined their respective fraternities. Marcos was the recent fatality, July 2012, while Reglos died February 2012. Both left their family bewildered, perplexed and in sorrow. Likewise, they probably forgot or ignored that they were loved and cherished by their parents and siblings whom they left distraught, thus the ultimate victim of their demise. They also caused trouble to the school that gave them a chance to fulfill their dream profession.

Further on, reason dictates that injury and pain are avoided rather than sought. Modern society now has a full line of conveniences to avoid or mitigate hardship that results in injury and pain. Therefore, what led these two obviously intelligent individuals to allow themselves to be hurt and subsequently killed?  It is surmised here that both were driven by naked and ruthless ambition. To be a lawyer is a tough campaign. Law schools are strictly regulated by the Supreme Court. It is required to maintain a decent passing rate in the bar exams among its graduates. Law schools are under threat of denial to operate if their passing rate is dismal. So the San Beda College law school implements a strict attrition policy. It is a law student’s nightmare to be cut off from the program. It could be that both fatalities embraced the idea that being a fraternity man will assure them a successful law school campaign and the prosperous practice later. This is not so, Robert Hall (1764-1831) said, “Call things by their right names…Glass of brandy and water! That is the current but not the appropriate name: ask for a glass of liquid fire and distilled damnation.”

The last probable cause is they succumb to their weakness. They were overcome by fear and loneliness. The competitive nature of the law school is threatening. Both had their families far from them. So they lacked family care and companionship to alleviate their fear and pains. Both could have mistakenly sought belongingness and strength from a fraternity whose morality is contorted towards evil. Homer states, “There are no compact between lions and men, and wolves and lambs have no concord.” Heavily bruised, both hazing victims were dropped off in the hospital emergency room like stinking, rotting, and useless garbage. They were left for dead by their supposed brothers.

The only mistake of San Beda College is to accord dignity to the representation of Marcos and Reglos that they will abide by their signed promised not to join a fraternity. The hysterical mass media and grandstanding government personalities failed to recognize this virtuous action. They insist to see a Gestapo operation in San Beda College. The folly of Marcos and Reglos are solely their own. Their loss is bemoaned. True to its Benedictine value, San Beda College readily made peace with its detractors. It organized a media event cum candlelight vigil against fraternity violence. It remains steadfast in its mission to enlighten, educate and nurture student and intellectuals. By Nietzsche’s words, “I want to teach men the sense of their existence, which is Superman, the lighting out of the dark cloud man.”