Tag Archives: philippine society

23
Nov

Cris Anthony Mendez: Back to normal

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We really tend to have short memories. Or we are just too lazy to remember.

Months after the death of Cris Anthony Mendez from the barbaric tradition called hazing, nothing much has changed. First, unlike the dispatch shown by the ever consistent Philippine National Police on solving the Glorietta and Batasan blasts, no one has been charged with the crime. Very consistent. Second, most of the suspects are already in hiding or have already left the country. The guilty really hides from the truth. And the worst? It is all back to normal.

I have mixed feelings about the University of the Philippines. It is a bastion of student activism. It leads the charge against corruption. But it suffers from the proverbial pointing cliche – that when you point at someone, three fingers are pointing at you. And as they say in Tagalog, “Bago mo husgahan ang kapwa mo, tingnan mo muna ang sarili mo.” I really want to say that to all members of the UP community. Remember all those candles? All those marches? All those talks of remembering, etc, yada yada? Yet what have you to show?

Fraternities in UP are tumors that are hard to remove.

I am troubled by what my sources in UP Diliman have told me. Some of them said the same things, some of them have verified facts, and some of them gave me rumors. I will be posting what I have learned here, and the rumors will be clearly marked as RUMORS until such time I have verified them through multiple sources.

Some of my sources told me that the Sigma Rhoans are back at their usual tambayan, at the Malcolm Hall parking lot, now that the outcry is gone. Remember that some news reports showed an empty tambayan right after Mendez’ death was announced, and remained empty when the outcry was at its peak. Now, they are back.

Delta Lambda Sigma sorority is also busy recruiting. Fact: DLS is the affiliate of Sigma Rho. Fact: DLS is disassociating themselves with Sigma Rho. Good for them.

RUMOR: Sigma Rho is again recruiting new lambs to be slaughtered. It is also rumored that the Sigma Rho are taking a closer look at the LAE examinees for possible recruits. One of the sources noted the irony that Cris Mendez would have been one of the examinees.

RUMOR: A UP College of Law professor has been kicked out, apparently being involved in CA’s case. Still verifying this rumor.

RUMOR: Other fraternities are taking advantage of Sigma Rho’s “absence” last academic semester. Scintilla Juris is rumored to be raring to regain prominence in Malcolm Hall. In what way, the sources did not say. Hopefully not by another hazing death. Or a rumble. Speaking of which…

RUMOR: A rumble is about to erupt soon. Several sources have shared this rumor, but some of them have refused to say who are the parties to be involved; some sources gave different names. But all of them agree that a rumble may happen soon.

RUMOR: It seems that a new Law dean is to be selected, and one factor that weighs in heavily on the selection is the issue of fraternities. It is a hot issue, some of my sources told me. Interesting bit, if true.

RUMOR: The most troubling, for its implication: Sigma Rho has a Cris Mendez defense fund large enough to buy several judges, if necessary. THIS IS A RUMOR. But to be honest, with the way CA’s case has moved, this is very plausible.

I will try to verify these rumors and seek more information from other sources.

Roundup of news on Cris Mendez’ case: Cris Anthony Mendez: The Search for Justice
Roundup of blog post on Cris Mendez’ death: The true barbarians of UP (UPDATED)

PS: If I die at UP, you know the reason why. ;P

19
Nov

The Church and the State

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For the longest time, a rational population management policy eludes the Philippine government due to the rabid opposition by the Roman Catholic hierarchy. So it is not a surprise when a councilor in Quezon City is met by stiff opposition by the Church (like this one: Cubao bishop opposes proposed QC population policy).

Historically, the Church and the State were intertwined since the Spanish colonization of these islands (some would even dare say that the Church and the State were one and the same). The arrival of the Americans and the invasion by the Japanese were just great interruptions in the relationship. It is therefore not surprising that the Church exercises great influence in the government. And it exercises that influence well.

Everyone who knows his Constitution will argue that this influence is crossing a thin line defined by the Separation clause (Article II, Section 6), to wit:

The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.

However, I will not condemn the Church for its rabid opposition to birth control, rational or scientific its reasons or not notwithstanding. The Bill of Rights has this to say about religious freedom:

Section 5. No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.

I believe that the Church, through its people, is exercising a right guaranteed by the Constitution. I cannot blame them if they oppose birth control with a fervor of an army ready to do battle with the enemy. Not only they are entitled to express opposition, they are also entitled to express their religious belief. And that includes the usual political gimmick (blackmail, pressure, to name a few). I will not begrudge them for their religious belief.

I will not give the same leniency to the government. Specifically, Gloria Arroyo.

Article 2, Section has this to say:

The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the Government.

Note the phrase “the life of the unborn FROM CONCEPTION” (emphasis mine). As you can see, the Constitution is clear that it will protect the unborn upon conception. Conception is defined loosely as when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell (Wikipedia). There is no constitutional barrier that prevents the government from instituting artificial family planning methods. But what prevents this government from doing so?

There are several issues that needs to be cleared here.

1. Does a president have the right to impose his religious conviction on the nation? Hell, NO! That is tantamount to establishing a state religion, which is expressly forbidden by the Constitution.
2. Does the government have the right to impose a policy that is clearly in violation of one’s religious belief? The answer is unclear at this point – we will need a court case to establish a solid answer. I think the answer is generally no; refer to Article III, Section 5 as stated above.

That’s why I wondered why no one challenged Lito Atienza when he banned the distribution of condoms and similar materials from Manila’s health centers. I think what he did what patently illegal, since his reason is religious in nature. This is the same reason why the Department of Health and the Population Commission are not pushing hard for artificial family planning methods. And this I condemn with strong words. This is the Catholic Taliban in action. The government is not even promoting such use only because it is against Gloria Arroyo’s religious belief.

Let me clear things out in closing.

1. The Church has every right to oppose artificial family planning methods and the Government from instituting such policy. However, the Church is limited to such opposition but doesn’t have the right to disrupt the Government from doing its job (specially when what the Government is doing is legal). It doesn’t have the right to impose its beliefs on the State.
2. The Government has every right to institute policies that will protect the people’s well being. However, it doesn’t have the right to impose a policy that is clearly against a person’s religious belief. (This is a gray area, specially when “imminent danger” is invoked.)
3. Gloria Arroyo, Lito Atienza, and other members of the Catholic Taliban have no right to impose their religious beliefs to anyone. They have no right to use the executive powers granted to them by the Constitution and the laws to “obfuscate” religious belief as government policy.
4. Every Filipino is free to choose what he wants, within the limits of the Constitution and his religious beliefs. Neither the Government nor the Church has the right to impose their beliefs on a Filipino citizen. If a citizen desires to use artificial family planning methods, the Government and/or the Church can’t stop him.

The Government must promote (not push) artificial family planning to those who are willing to use it. It should not be denied to those who need it most. I believe that the policy should be of promotion, not institutionalization.

—

This post was made in reaction to The Jester-in-Exile’s post on the same topic.

19
Nov

Do you feel the self-righteous torment?

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Have you seen that fugly “Ramdam ko ang pag-asenso” (I feel the progress) TV ad (well, I only saw one)? You know, I want to interview each and everyone who appeared and talked in that commercial. I want to pick their brains. I want to establish that they were taking hallucinogens. I want to see their ITRs and 2316s. I want to see their bank records, billing records, records of property ownership, payslips. I want them to look at me straight in the eye, and repeat what they had said on TV. I want to be sure that what they were spewing at the TV were true.

The fact that the advertiser is unidentified raises more questions that answers. It is obviously a government ad, what with the quality and utter disregard for the truth. Hiding in anonymity is trademark Arroyo regime.

How about you? Ramdam mo na ba ang pag-asenso? I surely do not.

—

A self-righteous Filipino sent a self-righteous letter to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, protesting on her innocence, claiming that she is not guilty over the death of Mariannet Amper, nor she feels any remorse whatsoever. I pity her, not for her self-righteous apathy and arrogance. I pity her because of her glaring ignorance of how a government operates.

She threw the book, the sink, the toilet bowl, everything, on the Gloria Arroyo administration, claiming that it is the Arroyo regime’s fault. I would have gladly joined her, except that she has to answer a simple question first: if Gloria Arroyo is at fault, what had she done about it?

I will not be surprised if she had elected Gloria Arroyo in 2004.

—

It seems that the Armed Forces of the Philippines has really did it this time.

The years 2006-2007 have been a banner year when it comes to extra-judicial killing and forced disappearances. Victims are mostly linked with the left, suggesting a Red Banner witch hunt, and all fingers point at the military. There is even a poster boy of Red Banner witch hunt – Jovito Palparan, nicknamed “The Butcher” (the nickname that can safely be given to Stalin). The Arroyo regime formed the Melo Commission to investigate such killings and disappearances. While the Commission recommended that Palparan be investigated, its other findings are unknown, and no other concrete actions were taken by the regime.

The Supreme Court had to take action, calling an unprecedented all-hands, all-stakeholders summit, and then issuing new rules based on the findings and recommendations made in that summit. One of the new rules is the implementation of a writ of amparo, or writ of protection. Said to be more powerful than the writ of habeas corpus (specifically stated in the Charter), the rules regarding the writ no longer allow the respondent to simply deny the fact. The habeas corpus’ main defect is that it allows the respondent to simply deny the fact that he has the person being petitioned to be produced.

It seems that the AFP is really engaging in clearly illegal activities.

In several amparo cases filed, two persons have been produced since the rules regarding the writ of amparo were promulgated. If these two people are criminals, how come charges are not filed against them? Why engage in torture?

The protector of the people has become the tormentor. Tsk.

16
Nov

Diving into mud

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Our government officials are really funny.

Mariannet Amper’s case must have strucked a raw nerve. Too much mud thrown on several faces, police are now searching for reasons why a 12-year old killed herself. For some people, killing yourself just because you are poor is kind of illogical, unreasonable, and not enough a reason to kill oneself. I will not dispute some people’s assertion about the reason that led to the suicide. I will not even speculate on the reasons why. The kid is dead.

With mud in their faces, specially Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the police has exhumed the girl’s body for autopsy. Not content with mud, they dived directly into the mud.

Why? Suicide is a police matter. They should have investigated it as a case, they should have the body autopsied before allowing it to be buried. The fact that the police did not speaks loudly of what kind of police force we have. As if they are telling us that they are having an investigation as an afterthought, to dispute the poverty-as-reason angle.

While the initial post-burial investigation showed that it was possible that the child was molested, it does not dispute the facts in the child’s diary. Unless, of course, the diary’s a forgery. I will not be surprised if the police tackles THAT angle next.

There are lots of reasons why a person commits suicide. Heck, you can’t even compute the combination of reasons. But the most common denominator among suicide cases is that the person was depressed. Poverty can make someone depressed, trust me. And if the kid was molested….

14
Nov

Two murders

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Two murders were committed at the Batasang Pambansa in a span of less than 24 hours.

Last night, an explosion at the South Wing lobby of the Batasan killed Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar, and a driver of another congresswoman, who was herself injured. Another congressman was injured from the blast. Police believes this was an assassination and not a terrorist attack.

(Nope, contrary to the police line, I thought the blast was caused by the collective fart of congressmen who received Php 200,000 a month ago at the Fortress.)

To be honest, Akbar is not a great loss to the country, being a political overlord of his province (two of his wives are elected officials of Basilan, too), and is rumored to be connected with the Abu Sayaff. Heck, he had his Louis XIV moment, boldly saying “I am Basilan.” Read Wahab Akbar’s profile by Newsbreak.

The morning after, the House Committee on Justice offered a moment of silence for Akbar. That’s the official line, of course. The real reason is that they were to commit another murder that day: the murder of the palyadong Pulido impeachment complaint. Which they did with gusto, with murderers’ grins, without much semblance of conscience amongst the dogs of the Justice Committee. Their amo at the Fortress was very pleased, of course.

End of story.

—

You know, some people are being stupid. Some people are blaming the opposition with the murder of the palyadong Pulido impeachment complaint, saying that the opposition was caught “natutulog sa kangkungan.”

Maybe there is really a problem with our knowledge of politics, history, and governance.

The impeachment attempts last 2005 and 2006 should have been instructive. Politicians have shown that impeachment, a process defined in the Philippine Constitution, can be reduced into a numbers game. So if you want to impeach Gloria Arroyo, you should have elected an opposition House.

But, no. Confused as we are with what we want to happen with our lives, we gave the Senate to the mongrel opposition, and the House to the dogs of the Arroyo regime. What confused message have we delivered through that 2007 elections?

The opposition of the 14th Congress knew by July of 2007 that impeaching Gloria Arroyo is as remote as the Second Coming happening at this very moment. So when the palyadong Pulido impeachment complaint was filed, even I was surprised by such foolishness. (Well, yeah, no wonder the Magdalos dropped him as their lawyer.) I cannot blame others if they think Pulido is the new Oliver Lozano.

And now that the palyadong Pulido complaint is dead, some people have the gall to blame the opposition. Hello? Are you watching the news, or Kokey (alright, Zaido)?

12
Nov

Injustice at Sumilao

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Please allow me to rant about something.

Yesterday, I managed to view the last part of The Correspondents’ report on Sumilao farmer’s undeniably futile march to the Fortress by the Pasig. Ruben Torres, Fidel Ramos’ executive secretary, was interviewed, and said the most callused statement next to that government official’s reaction to that 11-year old girl’s suicide. Here is a reaction to Torres’ stupid remark (the reaction was kind enough to quote Torres).

Damn him.

These farmers would not be marching to their deaths if not for Torres’ (and in extension, his amo, Tabako) decision to allow the conversion of 144 hectares of agricultural land (which were awarded to several Sumilao farmers by the Department of Agrarian Reform in 1995) into industrial use (at the behest of one Norberto Quisumbing – what’s with people named Norberto). Ten years later, the land is unused and is sold to San Miguel Corporation.

Clearly, a great social injustice has been committed by the Ramos administration, and Torres in particular. Until now, that injustice continues, and I hope that when these farmers get to the Fortress (if they make it past Mendiola, then I will be greatly pleased), they will get the land that is rightly theirs to begin with, if not due to Ramos’ incompetence.

—

The fact that Sumilao is in Bukidnon, Miguel “Daya Na” Zubiri’s home province, is just an icing in the cake. I relish the time when Zubiri gets a mudcake in the face from the Sumilao farmers for not helping them. Heh. Anyway, the Zubiris are landed lots in Bukidnon, so their inaction is expected.

—

My mom saw that episode, and she took pity with the farmers and their families. I told her that injustice will continue as long as the prevailing social order remains; as long as those who are in power look for their own welfare; as long as those who have the power to effect change remains apathetic and much concerned with their own selves and whims. The last one includes all of us.

—

Gari Lazaro is posting daily updates on the Sumilao farmers’ march. Go read his blog.

9
Nov

Mariannet Amper: The next might be you

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You know, the story of that 11-year old girl who committed suicide because she can’t stand poverty anymore is the most potent reason NOT to believe this regime’s economic lies. Whatever statistic that sycophants Ignacio “There are 2 discs” Bunye, Ricardo Saludo, and Eduardo Ermita tell us, the death of that girl will always come to my mind. Whenever people like Donald Dee, Miguel Varela, and Sergio Ortiz-Luis start parroting the party line, the death of that girl will always come to my mind. I will never be convinced by their lies. As long as I see some green-shirted people collecting people’s trash and earning below government-mandated minimum wage, and contrast that with government officials getting hundreds of thousands of pesos, and the story of that girl’s suicide, I will never be convinced.

Strong peso? The fact is that we are surviving due to remittances by overseas Filipino workers, and a strong peso is not what we need. The fact is that the sunshine industry in the country today is the business process outsourcing/call center industry, which depends on the local industry currency being weak against the US Dollar. So with a strong peso, an OFW sees his remittance shrinking as compared to a year ago. With a strong peso, BPOs/call centers see their revenues fall.

Remember the name – Mariannet Amper. Remember the circumstances that lead to her death. Remember the lies being peddled by government officials.

Remember the story of the previous episode of that TV show that you love watching. Remember the food that you ate at that fancy store. Remember the ridiculously priced gadget that you bought last month. Remember the trip to another country you took months ago. Remember all that beer that you downed. Remember those. Because when your apathy reigns unbridled, all of those will be gone. All that remains are memories.

And then you will remember that 11-year old girl who committed suicide, all because his father couldn’t give her Php 100 pesos for a school project. A girl who died because she cannot afford to go to school regularly.

—

I commend the following people who continue to tell the world that a child died, and the rest went on their merry lives:

Schumey: Putting A Face On Poverty
The Jester-in-Exile: The Rant of The Jester-in-Exile, Part I: YOU FUCKING APATHETIC FOOLS and The Rant of The Jester-in-Exile, Part II: Pinoy Big Briber
Paeng: Callous
Master Betong: Kahirapan
Dominique Cimafranca: “Girl, 11, loses hope, hangs self”
Mika: Poverty drives a 12-year-old girl to take her own life
Selvo: The rope that hanged Mariannet
Gerry Cacanindin: Mariannet: Death by suicide at 12
brandz18: To Mariannet Amper
Jenny: Mariannet Amper: Death Driven by Poverty….
Demosthenes: Too Menny People
Mundong Noypi: Legacy of Mariannet
quixotic&chaotic: Hebigat
mgrp: “Girl,11, loses hope, hangs herself”
iron46: Apektado ako sa pagpapakamatay ni Mariannet
Patsada Karajaw: DAVAO GIRL COMMITTED SUICIDE BECAUSE OF POVERTY
Manuel Buencamino: The most callous reaction to the suicide of an 11 year old girl
Placeholder: Trickle-Down Economics
Bikoy: There are millions of Mariannets
Sonnie: Tears In Heaven
Francis: Hush now, little girl

And what about YOU?

19
Sep

Cris Anthony Mendez: The Search for Justice

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(This blog post continues the roundup entitled The true barbarians of UP. Check back on this page for news updates.)

Almost a month since the death of Cris Anthony Mendez, the case is far from being solved. But there are small breaks, which is good.

—
11/23/2207 News Update
Sigma Rhoan loses TRO case vs UP in hazing controversy Belat! Buti nga! Seriously, the fact that he is still in hiding speaks loudly about his innocence, no?

11/20/2007 News Update
Doctor faces civil case filed by Mendez family The Mendez family should get a new lawyer. They should file a medical malpractice case against that doctor. They should also ask the Professional Regulation Commission to strip the doctor of his license. I would have asked for more than Php 8 million. And yeah, almost two months after, still no criminal case filed against anyone. It seems that Sigma Rho has done its coverup job well.

11/08/2007 News Update
4 face obstruction raps in Mendez case Funny, they should charge Santos himself. And that Miko Cruz, too. It has been a month, and these two have been invisible since day 1, isn’t that enough ground to charge them with obstruction of justice?

10/31/2007 News Update
UP studes light candles for dead frat neophytes Two months after, no break in CA’s case.

10/26/2007 News Update
Fratman’s lawyer says UP on ‘a fishing expedition’ Yeah, right. Where’s your client, BTW?

10/24/2007 News Updates
UP fraternity man seeks stop to hearings on Mendez death
Sigma Rho member seeks TRO vs UP
It has been quite awhile since the last update to this post. One Sigma Rho member wants the court to stop the UP Student Disciplinary Tribunal hearings. Remember that the QC Police District is waiting for the results of the SDT hearings before it files a case against Sigma Rho members (see 10/24 update, below).

10/13/2007 Update
Frat violence rears its ugly head not just in UP That is not the point, and the letter writer don’t get it. The point is that a UP student was murdered, and Sigma Rho is likely culprit.

10/10/2007 News Update
Doctor’s son a no show in NBI hazing death inquiry This time, NBI should charge Mico with obstruction of justice. They should not wait any longer.

10/07/2007 News Update
Fraternity men wheel in hope to people with disabilities A UP fraternity tries to find relevance in this time where almost everyone is hostile against fraternities.

10/05/2007 News Updates
Doctor allegedly prevented autopsy on Cris Mendez
Witness says no autopsy done on UP hazing victim
Another witness claims that the doctor immediately had the body released without the benefit of an autopsy. That’s obstruction of justice, plain, clear, and simple.

10/04/2007 News Updates
Decision on case vs UP frat members vital to cops’ probe I get the feeling that QCPD is bluffing. If you have an airtight case, you file it, you arrest the suspects.
NBI gives doc’s son one week to show up Sabi nga sa Filipino, baka ginagapang na ng Sigma Rho para manahimik yung anak ng doktor.

10/03/2007 News Update
NBI to seek UP stude’s help on Mendez slay Icasiano’s mother appeals to Sigma Rho. I think it was useless. There’s no use appealing to murderers.

10/02/2007 News Updates
Doctor in Mendez slay shows up at NBI
Doctor in UP hazing shows up at NBI
Crucial updates, folks. Ties up several loose ends. The most surprising (and wicked) news: the doctor’s first lawyer was supposedly supplied by Sigma Rho. The rogues! They wanted the doctor to stonewall for them! They are really desperate to cover their asses.

10/01/2007 Update
Saguisag on Sigma Rogues and the new writ of amparo Rene Saguisag called Sigma Rho as Sigma Rogues. Heh.

9/29/2007 News Updates
UP files raps vs 12 Sigma Rhoans Note that the complaint is an internal one. Also, a rumor of another hazing death is circulating, and if true, it means that the concerned fraternity has learned from Cris’ death. They have employed calibrated, pre-emptive response (CPR). Shame on you, Gloria Arroyo.
Obstruction of justice charge awaits doctor in Mendez case They should have done this aeons ago. NBI should now check with Immigration, and I would not be surprised if the coward is gone.
Don’t forgo due process in Cris Mendez’s case WTF. Due process? Want due process, mister? How about this? A month after Cris’ death, no one has been charged? The fools who were suspended are all missing in action. You want due process, mister? What you need is a slap in the butt and a brain transplant. Your own needs to be discarded. Fast. Inquirer should have not published such a useless rant. (If you notice, this letter uses a variation of the usual Gloria Arroyo apologists. Go to MLQ3‘s blog and read comments made by Bencard and rego.)

9/28/2007 News Update
Fraternities ‘surprised’ by UP president’s directive Not really related to Cris’ case, but it seems fraternities are having a hard time justifying their existence, even concocting reasons for failure to comply with the UP president’s directive.

9/26/2007 News Updates
NBI says doctor in Mendez slay case could face charges and Last chance for doctor linked to UP hazing – NBI They should have charged him aeons ago. Who knows, the doctor might have fled the country already.

9/25/2007 News Update
Cris Mendez’s ma gets offer to settle case Whether the stranger who made the offer is connected with Sigma Rho or not, I just shake my head in disgust. As if money can buy you a life. Don’t these people get it? They murdered someone, and they should face the law.

9/24/2007 In a letter to Newsbreak, Fulgencio Factoran Jr. explains why he does not intend to resign from Sigma Rho. He went on great lengths to explain his decision. And yes, like Villafuerte, he does not condemn his own fraternity for killing Cris Mendez. Boo.

“By far, the biggest lesson I have learned from the Sigma Rho fraternity is the value of friendship. A sub lesson is that I should not desert a friend when he is in crisis, no matter how badly he has behaved.” At least for us, we support our friends BUT WE DO NOT CONDONE THEIR WRONG ACTIONS. That’s our difference, Mr. Factoran. Also: now that Mendez is dead, where are your brods? Sigma Rho might have been good to you, but from the rate things are going, the current members and alumni of your fraternity has not been good on Mendez – that includes you, Mr. Factoran. How do you reconcile that, Mr. Factoran?

9/21/2007 News Update
UP president orders fraternities: Justify your existence I hope this is not just tough talk.

9/20/2007 News Updates
‘Violent frats accept only neophytes who submit to hazing’ “He told the Inquirer that based on a 1996 study conducted by Sociology professor Ricardo Zarco, the Sigma Rho fraternity had the most number of involvement in violent incidents in the university.” Heh. How I wished numbers were quoted.
NBI to quiz funeral parlor exec It seems that the funeral parlor has a lot of questions to answer. Is there a Sigma Rhoan in that business?
A code of secrecy and silence Someone wrote a letter to the editor, wondering about Sigma Rho’s silence. Why even ask?

9/19/2007 News Updates
UP frat violence forum seeks justice for Mendez That’s the ticket. Bring it on, indeed.
UP to Sigma Rho: Go ahead, sue us Kapal talaga ng mukha. Magpakita muna kayo bago kayo manakot, mga duwag.

9/19/2007 Blog Posts
Mafia Culture “I weep for the wasted life of Cris, so young and with a bright future. Now he is but another statistic in this barbaric crime whose perpetrators are being cuddled by their influential criminal brothers. To these criminals, justice may not be served in this life but who knows in the next? Pray too that your sons will not face animals like you when their turn comes. Justice can come from the most unlikely places and a crime cannot be hidden for eternity.

So no matter how Sigma Rho tries to justify/glorify its organization, its nothing but a gang that revolves around the culture of the Mafia.”

One of Their Own “At dinner a few nights ago, some brods and I talked about possible ways of helping to ensure that something like the Mendez case should never happen to our residents, and of more sharply focusing the fraternity’s energies on academics and public service. I know that to many, that’ll be like teaching a dinosaur to dance, but I’d like to be more hopeful—while bearing in mind that the bottomline for fraternities is, if they can’t guarantee the safety and well-being of their members and recruits, then they’re better off dissolved. Worse than becoming irrelevant, they can be dangerous. If the alumni brods want whatever glorious traditions they may have begun to carry on to this new century, then they should take the lead in reshaping the mindsets of the young, and not condone any act of violence—even and especially if it’s perpetrated by one of their own.”

9/18/2007 News Updates
Witness confirms Mendez joined frat initiation rites Finally, someone connects CA’s murder with Sigma Rho.
UP Diliman campus blooms with ‘justice’ posters Well, I hope this is not just a prank. And oh, former Senator Jovito Salonga resigns from Sigma Rho. Hurrah!
Sigma Rho alumni chief wants Salonga apology I think Filipino words can best sum this news up: ANG KAPAL NG MUKHA. What gall. I can only shake my head in disgust.

9/18/2007 Blog Posts
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness. . .” (Matthew 3:3) “The newspapers today speak of a real man standing for his principles and standing by his word, even when it is unpopular, even when it goes against the grain, even when it is not expedient, for so long as it is the right thing to do.”

Of Justice and Teardrops (in memory of Cris Anthony Mendez, 1987-2007) “See, I may not have actively intended to take a life. That said, the moment that I lacked the foresight to see the consequences of my actions, then I have lost all exoneration from blame. I have to suffer the consequences of my actions, because I am a man who was taught by both of my parents that you have to live this life with as clean a conscience as you can possibly get. If I go to jail, fine. At least I can do my time and get the chance to mend my ways. The person whose death I caused accidentally? He’s not going anywhere. And he never will. I would rather have a clean conscience behind bars than to live my life as a “free” man outside jail, always longing for the voices in my head to keep quiet. Sooner or later, the voices will take over.”