Another young life, one who sought to become a member of a fraternity that would consider him a brother, has been senselessly snuffed, all in the idiotic tradition of hazing! Marc Andrei Marcos, an apparent neophyte in the Lex Leonum Fraternity at the San Beda College of Law, succumbed to the injuries inflicted on him by his would be brothers. Four persons brought his beaten body to a hospital in Cavite, but medical help could no longer help him in any way. Now, these four persons have disappeared. Typical fraternity cowardice. Future lawyers who break the law and cannot face the consequences. Exactly what kind of lawyers do these monsters become?
One of those who brought Marc Andrei to the hospital is a certain Gian Angelo Veluz, whose family owns the farm where the apparent hazing took place. The two females are employees at the said farm, and a male companion of Veluz is yet to be identified. All four have been charged with murder and violation of the Anti-Hazing Law. They have all gone into hiding, probably preparing their defense and getting in touch with all their alumni and connections so when they do surface, their eventual acquittal is secured! The father of Gian Veluz has shown up, saying that he will surrender his son and cooperate, even sympathizing with the family of the victim. Right.
Indeed, how can the families of hazing victims, particularly those involving law fraternities, attain justice if they are up against an organization of lawyers who already have positions in the private sector, government agencies and even the courts! Of the many cases of hazing in the past three years alone, has there been a single conviction for this deadly ritual? This is what burns me to my core.
True brotherhood is forged through time. Time where you get to know your brothers, and share experiences that will define the relationships that you will eventually have. What fraternity hazing does is force those bonds of brotherhood in a week or two, and born out of violence. If they do make it alive, the desire to inflict the same on future idiots just burns within their souls. Which is why the brotherhood formed by these fraternities is usually shallow.
Violence is like a drug. Once it starts, it is hard to stop. The primal character of men to dominate other men kicks into overdrive, especially in a situation where the ones being dominated are not fighting back. History has shown the extent of individuals who just want to dominate and conquer. Hazing is the worst scenario for a primal urge to be unleashed. Which is why when these nefarious activities do occur and something goes horribly wrong, blame falls squarely on the alumni who are supposed to supervise these rituals! These so-called “elders”, “supreme, grand whatevers” should know better, especially if they are already lawyers! It is beyond me that people who educate themselves in the law start off by breaking it, even committing the gravest of all crimes, murder! Spare me the regurgitated statements of condemnation from schools in that they do not condone fraternities, much more hazing.
Several senators are now promising to amend the existing Anti-Hazing Law and give it more teeth to chew these law-studying lawbreakers alive. Well, it is an election year next year, so let’s see what they can do, if any. As for the family of Marc Andrei and the other past victims of hazing, I can only imagine your frustration at the tortoise-like pace of justice your sons are receiving.