EDITORIAL - Those guns and paddle

Police authorities have busted what would have been an initiation of a notorious group in Barangay Sambag II in Cebu City Wednesday last week in another drive against fraternity hazing. 

Acting on a report, members of City Intelligence Branch of the Cebu City Police Office swooped down on a house where members of Tau Gamma Phi were preparing to hold an initiation.

Although some members of the fraternity scampered away upon seeing the presence of the authorities, police managed to immediately arrest a local Tau Gamma official and confiscated a handgun from him.

At least three other loaded handguns and a paddle for initiation rites were recovered from the site. This aside from the 'rescue' of five high school and college students recruited to join the fraternity. 

Had the authorities failed to intervene, the event would have been another successful fraternity initiation. It would have been a perfect time for the five recruits to complete the initial steps towards becoming full members of the group.

But because there was a presence of guns, the deadly side of the initiation could have easily roared its ugly head. And because there was a presence of a paddle, an integral part of a fraternity initiation, the recruits could have been subjected to rounds of serious physical torture.   

Under the anti-hazing law, any physical contact during any initiation is strictly prohibited following the many deaths involving fraternity recruitments. But, despite the law, hazing is still widely practiced by fraternities.

In fact, the recent death of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde student Guillo Servando at the hands of Tau Gamma fratmen in Manila was just another example of an apparent disrespect of the law by some fraternities.

Servando had sustained fatal injuries at the hands of those he considered future 'brothers.' And his death has sparked another debate as to whether fraternities should be banned in schools.     

Good thing the police were able to prevent last week's Tau Gamma initiation in Cebu City. Had it pushed through undetected, those guns and paddle would have been perfect ingredients for another deadly game.