Frat deaths and Cha-cha: the real problem

By Reni M. Valenzuela

Time to debunk and expose fraternities for what they truly are – diabolic.

Paulit-ulit na lang. Walang pagkakatuto. Walang pagbabago kung saan wala silang gustong baguhin. (It’s the same thing over and over again.  There is no learning. There is no change where there is nothing they want to change).

Fraternities are molding our youth to be ruthless, murderous and soulless. Cases of fraternity deaths in the country, with John Matthew Salilig of Adamson University being the latest victim, show the kind of “helpless” government we have, one administration after another.

Just like in the problem of drugs, the students/minors involved in fatal hazing in campuses and elsewhere are likewise victims more than “criminals” on account of the fact that the real problem is the government – due to its inaction and apathy. Our officials are intelligent enough to know what needs to be done to solve the problem, but wrapped up in themselves and their political world, and for reasons too personal and selfish for them, they are not doing it. Crazy.

The way the government deals with the problem of campus frat deaths illustrates the default mode by which it approaches every problem our nation faces – from food shortage, inflation, importation, economy, “investments,”  insurgency, peace/security, illegal drug, smuggling, corruption, “modernization” (of jeepneys), tourism, etc. The approach is always skin-deep, superficial, political, lazy, capricious, showy. No wonder, they never get to really solve the problems.

Ban all fraternity organizations (not just violent hazing) in all schools and universities. That’s the “one stop” solution. But why the government seems to find it “impossible” to do is the same “why” every festering problem we have in the country, including the West Philippine Sea row, continues to rankle and putrefy all of us.

Students are lured into joining fraternities due mainly to promises of government connections and favors in the future, and assurances of passing the bar or board examinations, etc. This is where the devil’s subtlety comes in which makes frat orgs thrive and frat membership attractive to young souls.

Why can’t they act to totally and genuinely ban fraternities?  Because many of our officials are members and masters themselves of Tau Gamma Phi, Alpha Phi Omega, Upsilon Phi Sigma, Alpha Phi Beta and a host of other frat organizations where they belong to. They are more loyal to their “brotherhood” and frat orgs than to the nation and Filipino people. This is where bad governance starts. Frats are breeding grounds for future bad leaders of the land. (Ephesians 6:10-12, 1 Peter 5:8-10, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, John 10:10, James 4:7).

Such a perversion. Why can’t they enact a law that would prohibit political dynasties? Because the majority of them are either part of political dynasties or have plans to build their own respective dynasties in the future – as though their families and clans are the only ones gifted with “good governance.”  Why can’t they chuck the pork barrel and confidential funds from the national budget? Because they can so indulge in it, freely and lavishly, to fatten their wallets, bank accounts and “political capital.”

Why can’t they resign for now from their doggedness to proceed with their “Maharlika” plan? Apparently because of reasons and “good purposes” that only the myopic can see. Why can’t they stop smuggling? Because they themselves are the smugglers or involved in the “trade”?  Why can’t they end the insurgencies? Because they can continually and eternally devour the budget being allotted to them year after year to “end” the insurrections. Why can’t they stop corruption and why can they only propose to minimize it rather than eradicate it? Because they are themselves corrupt, ambitiously corrupt.

What values or non-values are fraternities teaching their members (or our people) so much so that many of them, if not all, when they become government officials end up to be irrational, crooks, abusive, killers, conscienceless, heartless, depraved? Poor and innocent non-frat member government people, they are soon infected with the malaise. Alack!

Hilarious, the ongoing political circus of Con-Con, Con-Ass and Cha-cha in Congress have basically nothing to do with solving the above-mentioned problems and any problem that we have as a people and nation. Worse, their Cha-cha steps could even aggravate our predicament and perpetuate our problems even further, with more and new problems in the offing.

Solve yourself first, dear honorable men and women in power.

Don’t dance to their tune, my dearest countrymen.