My brother, damn the rewards!

The Utopia Law Fraternity based in the Ateneo Law School has put up a reward of P200,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators behind last September’s bombing of the just concluded Bar exams held at De La Salle University.

The injured totaled 44 including two whose legs had to be amputated because of the severity of their injuries. Raissa Laurel had both of her legs amputated, and has become the symbol of an uproar over the incident, causing the spotlight to once again shine on the relevance of fraternities in general. To say that aspiring lawyers are behind the bombing highlights the irony of it all.

But even Utopia, along with its rival fraternity Aquila Legis, have jaded pasts of violence towards each other. Legend are the running gun battles that are said to have taken place between members of these two fraternities. That may be history, but the fact remains that rival fraternities will always have a tendency to erupt in wars where innocents are always involved.

The angle currently accepted is that the bomb or grenade was thrown at a rival fraternity, but fell short of its intended target. Some Greek-letter groups are starting to prominently emerge in the ongoing investigation, which of course, they vehemently deny any involvement in the crime.

Who would admit to this dastardly deed, when the whole essence of fraternities is brotherhood, right or wrong? Who would give up one of their own in the fraternal scheme of things, damn the rewards?

The pot is now up to a million and may still increase, but I doubt in my mind if the sparkle of money would cause a fraternity to admit that one of them is a terrorist and a coward! Almost all fraternities have come out and condemned the deed. Of course they should, if only to look good! But for sure, we will be treated once again to the idiocy of fraternities when another dead body due to hazing makes the news.

There is nothing wrong with brotherhood or sisterhood. I have my own group of friends whom I cherish deeply, the camaraderie of which I would never trade for anything in this world. And we didn’t even have to “haze” each other to be accepted. But when brotherhood leads to a blind, idiotic sense of belonging just to get that extra shot of testosterone by resorting to senseless violence, then I will say that these brothers are terrorists, even cowards. And they have no place whatsoever in any school, in any community, in any society.

Up the reward to a hundred million pesos and maybe, just maybe, someone will turn over his “brother”.