In a rare show of unity, the UP Diliman Administration and Students condemned the merciless and senseless killing of Cris Anthony Mendez, only 20 years old, a graduating student of the National College of Public Administration and Governance. An indignation rally was held at the historic AS Steps (Palma Hall) this morning, where people wore black to signify grief over Cris’s death. Friends, Orgmates, Acquaintances and the general studentry went to show their sympathy over his death.

Everybody wore black to signify grief over the senseless murder of a fellow UP student

The skies were likewise in tears, but somehow gave way for the gathering to be held at the AS Steps.

Many prominent people spoke up: student-leaders, frat members, UP Admin, all condemning yet another case of frat violence in the university. QC Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista, himself an alumnus of NCPAG, likewise showed his support for the fight against frat violence, and vouched to speed up the resolution of the case. I heard of the news only this Tuesday from a friend who is a very close acquaintance of Cris.

Apparently he was left alone in the Veteran’s Memorial Medical Center after his alleged “brothers” in the frat dropped him off, where he later died. Luckily, someone took the plate numbers of the vehicles, and now the hunt for the culprit has already began. I think death by hazing is a very cruel way of passing this world. Someone said in the rally this morning that Cris is still alive, that he would only be dead if people don’t remember or commemorate him anymore. Someone also said that we are giving Cris a second death by not giving him justice for such barbaric cruelty. I say his body may be dead, but his spirit is very much alive.

Kuya Benj asked:

To which Ma’am Janet replied:

People in UP right now are generally afraid to speak up. You can see the gloom in everybody’s face whenever the topic of Cris’s death is brought up. But somehow people quickly shrug it off because somehow such deaths, unfortunately, have embedded itself into the culture of the university. We know we’re quite prominent for our frat-related deaths and violence. If there’s something I can’t to be apathetic about, it’s the mindless physical abuse of another person.

Even if people knew what happened or who did the crime, somehow they are afraid to speak up. I for once have heard and read accounts of who the culprit was, but I’m not going forward only with second-hand information at hand. But I know there are people who know the truth. And the threat of being mobbed by implicating a certain fraternity surely doesn’t appeal to anyone. Politics and Survival surely is at play.

This is not the first time this happened. And surely this won’t be the last time. But not if somebody does something to put a definite end to it. Iskolar ng Bayan pumapatay ng kapwa Iskolar ng Bayan. I don’t think there’s any more direct way of putting it.

There clearly is a need to review the guidelines for fraternities in the university. Yes, there are those who really contribute to the good of the nation and become good citizens of the Philippines afterwards, but surely there are also those who contribute nothing but violence and frat wars left and right. It’s scary. The people whom you so sweetly called your “brothers” are the same one’s who will end your sweet life.

I pity Cris. I read in his friend’s blog that he was only forced to join the fraternity, that he never wanted to join in the first place.

This is also one reason why I haven’t joined any organization in the university. I have a personal restriction with their application processes that most of the time include public humiliation. Though there’s no violence, somehow hazing comes in the form of verbal abuse. The body may be alive but the spirit is very much murdered. And why do they require those things in the first place? Some logical thinkers would argue that it’s to desensitize the applicants so that they’d be bold and brave enough to face the real world. Yung iba sabi para daw mas masarap ang stay mo sa org, na hindi mo daw pakakawalan ang isang bagay na talagang alam mong pinaghirapan mo.

But there are some who do these things just for the heck of it. Fraternities do hazing because somehow, it’s a form of initiation, a test of “character” and “endurance”, if you are really fit to join their “brotherhood“. I’ve heard many people say that they tolerate public humiliation because somehow they want to get even to the people who did the same to them. I personally can’t tolerate that. I find it illogical to pass on the blame to the applicants just because you’ve experienced them from the people before you. If you want to get even, get even with the people who hurt you.

I just hope this sends a clear message to everyone, particularly the UP Admin, the fraternities and the entire UP student body. The only thing you prove with giving and taking violence against and from a peer is the fact that you are not at all humane, much less human.

JUSTICE FOR CRIS ANTHONY MENDEZ!
STOP FRAT VIOLENCE!

Read up on the Cris Mendez story on the following links:

Ang Lalaking mukhang bao ang buhok (Cris’s friend’s blog. Almost brought me to tears while reading the entry about his death)
Unang Hirit’s video feed on Cris’s death
And you dare call us “Barbarians”?!!
Death puts end to short, happy life of Cris
Frat Hazing sa UP kinundena
UP Students seek justice for frat hazing victim
Justice for Cris Anthony Mendez
The true barbarians of UP
The Truth is Risky Business
Hazy over Hazing
Cris Mendez, DEAD — Justice for the Boy, When?
Para kay Cris Anthony Mendez
Niño Calinao, Cris Anthong Mendez, Dennis Venturina at ang mga Diyos sa UP

Somehow I’m slightly brought to tears when I viewed his friendster account. Somehow, in the last few pictures he posted in his profile, he looked so happy with his life. You can leave your messages there if you wish. May God bless his young soul.

Also, I’ve uploaded pictures from the Indignation Rally this morning at my Photo Gallery.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 31st, 2007 at 8:03 pm and is filed under Personal, Rant, Reflections, Schooling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.