I.

Introduction

A. Background of the Study

Hazing is considered as serious social problem. In whatever form, whether it be subtle or

intended to harass, or done to inflict physical harm, is demeaning and downright in every person.

While it clothes man’s baser instincts with noble justifications, such as measuring a neophyte’s

preparedness, courage, commitment, and endurance in the organization, hazing has often been

the main cause of a potential member’s death. Yet it continues to be the norm among Greek letter

fraternities and sororities where the mental and physical scars incurred in the process are likened

to war wounds earned in the battlefield. Despite it being forbidden, the practice continues, with

the added thrill that it is done underground where fraternal relationships are supposedly

cemented by raw recruits going through hell and fire.

Although hazing in Greek-letter organizations is well known through high profile media

stories and legal cases, hazing is not limited to collegiate fraternities and sororities. Other student

organizations such athletic teams, spirit groups, marching bands, military groups, cultlike groups,

high school groups, and work groups also haze (Zacker, 2004).

To to regulate the practice of initiation rites among student organizations, fraternities,

sororities and military training establishments, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

issued Memo Number 4 series of 1995 imposing stiffer penalty upon student organization

members proved to commit hazing and other forms of violence in campus. It also mandated the

Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to assume full responsibility and the duty to monitor student

organizations and their activities (Gabriel and Mangahas, 2016).

 The idea of creating a law which would prohibit the practice of hazing in the Philippines

occurred after the death of Leonardo “Lenny” Villa in 1991. The demand exerted by public and

private educational institutions created a stream of political pressure to the 13th Congress of the

Philippines to put an end to the senseless killing by making it a priority legislative agenda. The

Congress through, Senator Joey Lina eventually enacted Republic Act 8049 also known as the

Anti-Hazing Law of 1995 (Gabriel and Mangahas, 2016).

However, instead of decreasing the incidents of hazing, strangely, there had been an

increase in the recorded deaths by hazing in the country. This indicated that there was something

wrong with the law and its implementation, hence, this position paper.

B.Objectives of the Study

This study aims to achieve the following objectives:

1. Identify the rules and policies regarding student organizations of selected universities:

UPD, ADMU, DLSU-CSB, UST, and AU.

2. Review the identified rules and policies in relation to Republic Act No. 8049.

C. Significance of the Study

Hazing as a serious social problem must be properly regulated. Moreover this study will

determine the policy gaps between schools’ ordinance vis a vis RA 8049.

Little research has been conducted on topic of hazing in recent years, at least by legal

scholars. This is surprising given the persistent hazing incidents on college campuses and the

recent hazing deaths of individuals. Hence this study will add to the growing body of knowledge

on the subject of policy review and hazing literature.

D. Scope and Limitation

This study is primary focus to the policies and rules concerning student organization of

selected universities namely, University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), Ateneo de Manila

University (ADMU), De La Salle University- College of St. Benilde (DLSU- CSB), University

of Santo Tomas (UST), and Arellano University (AU). This study will also tackle Republic Act

No. 8049 or known as Anti- Hazing Law. The policies and rules each university were identified

n their respective student handbooks.

II. Review of Literature

This study will be aided by materials both published and unpublished. This chapter reviews

different literature from other studies. In addition, findings of other researchers in the same field

would provide a better foundation of the research. Moreover this paper will encompass different

policies regarding student organizations of selected universities in National Capital Region

(NCR): University of the Philippines Diliman, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle

University- College of St. Benilde, University of Santo Tomas, and Arellano University.

This study aims to identify the policies and rules of selected universities concerning to

their student organizations. Additionally, this research will review the identified policies and

rules relative to Republic Act No. 8049, otherwise known as the Anti- Hazing Law. The review

of related literature was divided into two parts: (1) Republic Act 8049 and (2) Policies of the

selected universities with regard to student organizations. As regards the former, a policy review

and discussion on the Anti-Hazing Law was presented. Also, cases that were convicted or
contemplated under this law was enumerated. While on the latter, focused discussion on the

policies of each university was be given. It was identified whether or not organizations, as in the

form of fraternities and/or sororities, were allowed to operate in their respective colleges wherein

if the answer is yes, guidelines to their creation and conditions for their maintenance were

presented. If not, penalties and/or punishments were identified to those who will be found out as

operating illegally or underground. Data on this part were primarily based on the latest student

handbook of each university.

A. Student Organizations

Before identifying and reviewing the policies and rules regarding student organizations of

each university, it is important to explain how student organizations become an issue in the

first place.

In section 19, Article VIII of Commission on Higher Education Memorandum No. 09, Series

of 2013, Student Organizations refer to, “the recognition/ accreditation, supervision and

monitoring of student groups including the evaluation of their activities (CHED, 2013). Article

VIII includes programs and activities designed for students to acquire or develop leadership

skills and social responsibility.

Literature has revealed that student organizations provide individuals opportunities to

acquire or develop valued communication skills, enable them to learn from others who have
different ethnic backgrounds, and foster care and support for underprivileged populations among

them (Harper & Quaye, 2007). Participation and membership in university-sponsored

organizations seem to provide students with different opportunities to get acquainted with

campus life and also enhances intellectual development (Montelongo, 2002).

According to Hall (2012), student organizations offer approaches to stimulate learning

experience beyond the classroom curriculum. They create networking opportunities among

students with similar personal and professional interests and provide the probability of building

networks to bigger communities beyond an organization (Hall, 2012). Through participation in

student organizations, students can maintain relationships with other individuals that have the

same professional interests; develop stronger mentoring relationships with their teachers; gain

ability to think critically, plan appropriately and make decisions (Hall, 2012) Students who

participated in student organizations viewed involvement as a significant element of their

socialization and academic persistence that provide participants with resources to excel in their

academic environments (Flowers, 2004). Flowers further suggested that participants are likely to

continue towards achieving completing their degree as long as they remain committed to the

organization. The more students participate in student organizations, the more they are likely to

improve essential abilities that will be useful in the real world setting (Patterson, 2012).

However some studies have shown student organizations can have a negative effect on

students’ cognitive development. Student Organizations such as Fraternities, sororities, military

organizations, athletic groups, and marching bands commonly are associated with hazing

activities (Garland, 2010). Social fraternities and sororities (commonly referred to as Greek

organizations) are a visible, yet often controversial, aspect of student life at many colleges and
universities. Some observers assert that these organizations are antithetical to the educational

purposes of higher education institutions (Maisel, 1990).

In the study of John Zacker (2004), the existence of dangerous, unsanctioned rites of passage

designed by upperclass students, especially upperclass students within student organizations is

the reason why hazing is a serious concern on different universities. According to Hollmann

(2002), more deaths have occurred since 1990 on campuses as a result of hazing, pledging, and

initiation accidents and fraternal alcohol-related incidents than throughout the rest of recorded

history of such deaths. Hollmann argued that, although fraternities and sororities received much

of the attention for hazing, athletic teams, spirit groups, marching bands, military groups, cultlike

groups, high school groups, and work groups also engage in hazing activities (Zacker, 2004).

While membership in a student organization is typically seen in a positive light, some may

wonder if the good outweighs the bad with respect to the potential risk of being hazed. Hazing is

universally known as an initiation process that includes aggressive and harmful actions upon new

members within Greek organizations, athletic teams and other types of clubs and activities

(Mercuro, Merritt, and Flumefredo, 2014) . While hazing practices vary within organizations,

there are some common hazing activities such as sleep deprivation, engaging in embarrassing

behavior, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, verbal and physical abuse, and much more

(Cokley et al., 2001). These can impact a student negatively and hence it is important to be aware

of potential negative implications.

B. History of Hazing
 According to Nuwer (1999), hazing was documented first by the Greek philosopher Plato in

387 B.C. In addition, a later group known as the “Overturners” were involved with similar

hazings in the fourth century at the center of learning in Carthage. “[The hazers] were rightly

called Overturners, since they had themselves been first overturned and perverted, tricked by

those same devils who were secretly mocking them in the very acts by which they amused

themselves in mocking and making fools of others,” Augustine said (Nuwer, 1999, p. 93).

During the middle ages, students at medieval universities used hazing to demonstrate the

privileges of precedence more senior students held over first-year students (Nuwer, 1999). For

example, first-year students would have to demonstrate animal-like submission, or in other

cases would be struck with wooden objects. In addition, more senior students engaged in a

practice called fagging, in which more senior students were entitled to require other students to

act as their servants. During this time, authorities, including educators, landlords, and town

officials, confronted hazing to different degrees, such as creating statutes against hazing,

publishing lists of specific acts that were considered hazing, and removing conferred honors

from students who were involved in hazing (Zacker, 2004).

In the Philippines, The Kataas-taasan Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng

Bayan or the Katipunan is the first organization in the Philippines that has held an initiation rite

which has happened in 1892 (Nuwer, 2009). As narrated by Reynaldo (2004), during rites,

neophytes are brought into a dark room lighted by a single candle, where they are asked series of

questions, oriented towards the aims of their brotherhood, and compelled to undergo ordeals that

test their loyalty. At the end, neophytes are presented with a sheet of paper and a bolo, which

they use in reciting their oath in the name of God and the country; that they will defend the aims

of their brotherhood and sign their respective names with blood (Reynaldo, 2004).Meanwhile
Hazing rites within the campus can trace its roots in the then Philippine Constabulary Academy

now Philippine Military Academy even before the pre-war years (Zarco & Shoemaker, 2012).

However, as years passed, fraternities had started to forget to teach and uphold the goals

of their group thus, creating a distorted view in the public mind, where they are perceived as

those who are involved with street gangs and hazing (Nuwer, 2009).

In the present time, the usual invitation for joining fraternities/ sororities now includes: a

social network that would secure one’s future career, brotherhood, and connections (Nakpil,

2017). Fraternities and sororities have started to emerge in schools, where student members work

together to reduce the stresses which they experience in school. As written by Morgenthau

(1962), it is usual that men feel lonely and isolated. They attempt to break down this isolation by

building connections with other people with whom they could merge to form a new whole,

espousing a single motive and will (Morgenthau, 1962). Baumeister & Leary (1995), referred to

this as wanting to feel the sense of “belongingness”, it being a motivating factor for people in

their pursuing of their respective endeavors (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Promised with the

same, fraternities and sororities have become monopolized by student organizations, with a huge

market of potential members (Nuwer, 2009).

Considering the benefit of having more ‘brods’ to build connections with, different

fraternities have also had their own ways to entice students to join. They have formulated rituals

for the purposes of testing the loyalty of neophytes and protecting their brotherhood from the

undeserving aspirants. With the appearance of different fraternities upholding differing ideals,

rumbles and inter-fraternity wars have also made their places on the stage. This gravely affected

non-members by making them feel outraged and terrified, coupled with the information about

initiation rites which have become an instrumentality that crosses the boundary between life and
death, creating the perception that hazing is an act which violates every person’s right to life;

which in its essence is an act of the brutal or the insane (Nuwer, 2009).

To prevent the actions of hazing in any student organizations, RA 8049 was enacted to

regulate any initiation rites and to ensure that there no physical violence will be produced.

C. Republic Act No. 8049 [Anti-Hazing Law]

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8049

AN ACT REGULATING HAZING AND OTHER FORMS OF INITIATION RITES IN

FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND PROVIDING

PENALTIES THEREFOR

Section 1. Hazing, as used in this Act, is an initiation rite or practice as a prerequisite for

admission into membership in a fraternity, sorority or organization by placing the recruit,

neophyte or applicant in some embarrassing or humiliating situations such as forcing him to do

menial, silly, foolish and other similar tasks or activities or otherwise subjecting him to physical

or psychological suffering or injury.

The term "organization" shall include any club or the Armed Forces of the Philippines,

Philippine National Police, Philippine Military Academy, or officer and cadet corp of the

Citizen's Military Training and Citizen's Army Training. The physical, mental and psychological
testing and training procedure and practices to determine and enhance the physical, mental and

psychological fitness of prospective regular members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and

the Philippine National Police as approved any the Secretary of National Defense and the

National Police Commission duly recommended by the Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the

Philippines and the Director General of the Philippine National Police shall not be considered as

hazing for the purposes of this Act.

Sec. 2. No hazing or initiation rites in any form or manner by a fraternity, sorority or

organization shall be allowed without prior written notice to the school authorities or head of

organization seven (7) days before the conduct of such initiation. The written notice shall

indicate the period of the initiation activities which shall not exceed three (3) days, shall include

the names of those to be subjected to such activities, and shall further contain an undertaking that

no physical violence be employed by anybody during such initiation rites.

Sec. 3. The head of the school or organization or their representatives must assign at least two (2)

representatives of the school or organization, as the case may be, to be present during the

initiation. It is the duty of such representative to see to it that no physical harm of any kind shall

be inflicted upon a recruit, neophyte or applicant.

Sec. 4. If the person subjected to hazing or other forms of initiation rites suffers any physical

injury or dies as a result thereof, the officers and members of the fraternity, sorority or

organization who actually participated in the infliction of physical harm shall be liable as

principals. The person or persons who participated in the hazing shall suffer:

1. The penalty of reclusion perpetua (life imprisonment) if death, rape, sodomy or

mutilation results there from.

2. The penalty of reclusion temporal in its maximum period (17 years, 4 months and 1

day to 20 years) if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall become insane, imbecile,

impotent or blind.

3. The penalty of reclusion temporal in its medium period (14 years, 8 months and one

day to 17 years and 4 months) if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have lost

the use of speech or the power to hear or to smell, or shall have lost an eye, a hand, a foot,

an arm or a leg or shall have lost the use of any such member shall have become

incapacitated for the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged.

4. The penalty of reclusion temporal in its minimum period (12 years and one day to 14

years and 8 months) if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall become deformed or

shall have lost any other part of his body, or shall have lost the use thereof, or shall have

been ill or incapacitated for the performance on the activity or work in which he was

habitually engaged for a period of more than ninety (90) days.

5. The penalty of prison mayor in its maximum period (10 years and one day to 12 years)

if in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have been ill or incapacitated for the

performance on the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged for a period of

more than thirty (30) days.

6. The penalty of prison mayor in its medium period (8 years and one day to 10 years) if

in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have been ill or incapacitated for the

performance on the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged for a period of

ten (10) days or more, or that the injury sustained shall require medical assistance for the

same period.
7. The penalty of prison mayor in its minimum period (6 years and one day to 8 years) if

in consequence of the hazing the victim shall have been ill or incapacitated for the

performance on the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged from one (1) to

nine (9) days, or that the injury sustained shall require medical assistance for the same

period.

8. The penalty of prison correccional in its maximum period (4 years, 2 months and one

day to 6 years) if in consequence of the hazing the victim sustained physical injuries

which do not prevent him from engaging in his habitual activity or work nor require

medical attendance.

The responsible officials of the school or of the police, military or citizen's army training

organization, may impose the appropriate administrative sanctions on the person or the

persons charged under this provision even before their conviction. The maximum penalty

herein provided shall be imposed in any of the following instances:

(a) when the recruitment is accompanied by force, violence, threat, intimidation or

deceit on the person of the recruit who refuses to join;

(b) when the recruit, neophyte or applicant initially consents to join but upon

learning that hazing will be committed on his person, is prevented from quitting;

(c) when the recruit, neophyte or applicant having undergone hazing is prevented

from reporting the unlawful act to his parents or guardians, to the proper school

authorities, or to the police authorities, through force, violence, threat or

intimidation;

(d) when the hazing is committed outside of the school or institution; or

 (e) when the victim is below twelve (12) years of age at the time of the hazing.

The owner of the place where hazing is conducted shall be liable as an accomplice, when

he has actual knowledge of the hazing conducted therein but failed to take any action to

prevent the same from occurring. If the hazing is held in the home of one of the officers

or members of the fraternity, group, or organization, the parents shall be held liable as

principals when they have actual knowledge of the hazing conducted therein but failed to

take any action to prevent the same from occurring.

The school authorities including faculty members who consent to the hazing or who have

actual knowledge thereof, but failed to take any action to prevent the same from

occurring shall be punished as accomplices for the acts of hazing committed by the

perpetrators.

The officers, former officers, or alumni of the organization, group, fraternity or sorority

who actually planned the hazing although not present when the acts constituting the

hazing were committed shall be liable as principals. A fraternity or sorority's adviser who

is present when the acts constituting the hazing were committed and failed to take action

to prevent the same from occurring shall be liable as principal.

The presence of any person during the hazing is prima facie evidence of participation

therein as principal unless he prevented the commission of the acts punishable herein.

Any person charged under this provision shall not be entitled to the mitigating

circumstance that there was no intention to commit so grave a wrong.

 This section shall apply to the president, manager, director or other responsible officer of

a corporation engaged in hazing as a requirement for employment in the manner provided

herein.

Sec. 5. If any provision or part of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts

or provisions thereof shall remain valid and effective.

Sec. 6. All laws, orders, rules or regulations which are inconsistent with or contrary to the

provisions of this Act are hereby amended or repealed accordingly.

Sec. 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) calendar days after its publication in at least two (2)

national newspapers of general circulation.

The Republic Act 8049, widely known as the Anti-Hazing Law, was passed in 1995. It is a

legislative act that seeks to regulate initiation rites and to ensure that no physical harm shall be

employed to any recruit, neophyte or applicant. Hazing, as defined by the authors of the law, is

an initiation rite or practice as a prerequisite for admission into membership in a fraternity,

sorority or organization by placing the recruit, neophyte or applicant in some embarrassing or

humiliating situations such as forcing him to do menial, silly, foolish and other similar tasks or

activities or otherwise subjecting him to physical or psychological suffering or injury, except

those of physical, mental, and psychological testing that are performed to determine and enhance

the physical, mental, and psychological faculties of prospective regular members. Organizations

are defined broadly by the law as to affect not only associations or clubs in the academe but also

among the Philippine Police, the Philippine Army, Training Academies, and even corporations

engaged in “hazing” as a requirement for employment (Lawphil, 2015). According to Cabico

(2017), the law was passed as a result of the death of Leonardo “Lenny” Villa, an Ateneo law
student, who died from multiple injuries in his initiation rites organized by the Aquila Legis, a

fraternity of law students at the Ateneo Manila University. However, the RA 8049 cannot be

applied in the said case for the law was not yet enacted when Villa died.

The passing of the Anti-Hazing Law was also, in part, to address the impracticable and futile

charging of fraternity or sorority members for murder or physical injuries. When a parent or

guardian catches wind that their son or daughter is a victim of hazing, the natural course of

action would be for them to institute a criminal charge against the fraternity or sorority

responsible. However, the filing of a criminal charge for murder or physical injury would be met

with a swift dismissal or acquittal, for to be convicted of murder or physical injuries, intent must

be proven and commonly among the fraternity or sorority members, intent is not apparent

because they are performing mere rites of requirement to neophytes vying to gain entry in the

organization or association. To remedy this issue, the congress passed the first hazing penal

statute, characterizing hazing as a malum prohibitum, in order for disgruntled loved ones of

hazing victims to have recourse for the actions of the fraternity or sorority responsible.

RA 8049 provides in Section 4 thereof that “if the person subjected to hazing or other

forms of initiation rites suffers any physical injury or dies as a result thereof, the officers and

members of the fraternity, sorority or organization who actually participated in the infliction of

physical harm shall be liable as principals”. It also provides penalties for a person or persons

who participated in the hazing according to the consequences of the hazing or physical injury

inflicted upon a recruit with an utmost penalty of reclusion perpetua if death, rape, sodomy or

mutilations result therefrom.

Charging malefactors for the crime of hazing instead of murder results in not having to

investigate on the willful and deliberate intent to commit a wrong and making the mere
performance of hazing or other forms of initiation rite that would inflict harm criminal. This

gives the family of victims a remedy and a means for justice to succeed through an easier

conviction. Making the crime of hazing malum prohibitum also prevents organizations from

raising “work-around” defenses such as defense of consent by the victim or defense of lack of

intent. It also, as the intent of the frames would put it, deters future organizations and

associations from performing hazing or rites that would harm because the performance of such

would be penalized as if it was the crime that resulted from the hazing.

R.A. 8049 also introduces a disputable presumption of actual participation, a

modification to the concept of conspiracy as it provides in Section 4, paragraph 6 that “the

presence of a person shall be prima facie evidence of participation as principal”, meaning that

any person in the vicinity with knowledge of the hazing or is a witness to the actual hazing

would be considered in conspiracy, where the common design is to haze the victim, with those

who actually performed the hazing making them principals, unless they took steps to prevent the

commission of the hazing.

It also states that no hazing or initiation rites in any form or manner by a fraternity,

sorority or organization shall be allowed without prior written notice to the school authorities or

head of organization seven (7) days before the implementation of the initiation. The said written

notice shall include the names of the people who shall be subjected to such activity. The head of

the school or organization or their representative are obliged to assign at least two representatives

of the school or organization to be present therein and to ensure no physical harm shall be

employed upon any recruit, neophyte or applicant during the initiation rites.

Since its inception in 1995, only one conviction under RA 8049 was recorded. This is the

case of Dandy L. Dungo and Gregorio A. Sibal of Alpha Phi Omega fraternity for the death of
Marlon Villanueva in their initiation rites in 2006. In this case, the Supreme Court explore the

efficiency of the Anti-Hazing Law in addressing the still rising casualties caused by mishaps in

hazing or initiation rites. In the case, the Supreme Court deduces that “whether or not a crime

involves moral turpitude is ultimately a question of fact and frequently depends on all the

circumstances surrounding the violation of the statute” (Lawphil, 2015).The Court also points

out that the law does not provide a penalty or sanction to fraternities, sororities or organizations

that fail to comply with the notice of requirements of Section 2, as well as an unclear liability

that arises from non-compliance of school and organization administrators under Section 3.

The court herein cites the law as “adequate to deter and prosecute hazing, but is far from

perfect.”

There was a conviction in the case of Dungo and Sibal vs. People. The court found that

“The unbroken chain of events laid down by the CA leaves us no other conclusion other than the

petitioners' participation in the hazing. They took part in the hazing and, together; with their

fellow fraternity officers and members, inflicted physical injuries to Villanueva as a requirement

of his initiation to: the fraternity. The physical injuries eventually took a toll on the body of the

victim, which led to his death.”

Table 1. Deaths cause by hazing

YEAR VICTIM’S NAME FRATERNITY SCHOOL

University of the
1954 Gonzalo Albert Upsilon Sigma Phi
Philippines
 University of the
1967 Ferdinand Tabtab Alpha Phi Omega
Philippines

San Sebastian
1976 Mel Honasan Beta Sigma
College

University of the
1984 Arbel Liwag Beta Sigma
Philippines

Leonardo “Lenny” Ateneo de Manila

1991 Aquila Legis
Villa University

1992 Joselito Hernandez Scintilla Juris UP Baguio

University of the
1995 Mark Roland Martin Epsilon Chi
Philippines

University of the
1998 Alexander Icasiano Apha Phi Beta
Philippines

Rafael Root Albano Far Eastern

2001 Sigma Mu
III University

UP Los Baños
2006 Marlon Villanueva Alpha Phi Omega

Pamantasan ng

2006 Dennis Africa Tau Gamma Phi Lungsod ng

Muntinlupa

Cris Anthony University of the

2007 Sigma Rho
Mendez Philippines
 Central Luzon State
2007 Mark Rodriguez Tau Gamma Phi
University

Chester Paulo
2008 Tau Gamma Phi Enverga University
Abracias

Scout Royal No Available

2009 Elvis Sinaluan
Brotherhood Information

2010 EJ Karl Initia Alpha Phi Omega University of Makati

Kapatiran Ng Mga
Menardo Clamucha
2010 Kabataang University of Iloilo
Jr.
Kriminolohiya

Alternative Learning
2010 Noel Borja Jr. Tau Gamma Phi
System (DepEd)

Notre Dame,
2011 Nor Silongan Tau Gamma Phi
Tacurong College

Lex Leonum
2012 Marc Andre Marcos San Beda College
Fraternitas

2012 Marvin Reglos Lambda Rho Beta San Beda College

De La Salle – College
2014 Guillo Servando Tau Gamma Phi
of Saint Benilde

Southern Luzon State

2014 Ariel Inofre Tau Gamma Phi
University
 Western Mindanao
2015 Anthony Javier Tau Gamma Phi
State University

Fortunato Halili High

2015 Christian Dela Cruz True Brown Style
School

University of Sto.
2017 Horacio Castillo III Aegis Jvris
Tomas

Source: ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group (4 October 2017)

D. Policies and Rules of Different Organizations regarding student organizations

University of the Philippines Diliman

The University of the Philippines Diliman, dubbed as the country’s premier state university,

is not at all alien to hazing incidents. The first reported hazing death was already after the

liberation. In 1954, UP student Gonzalo Mariano Albert of Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity developed

stomach pain due to hazing which later resulted to his demise. Consequently, an investigation

committee was established consisting of UP professors Arturo Garcia and Vicente Lontok as well
as Secretary Fred Ruiz Castro. The probe of the said committee led to the exposition of the

“brutalities, indecencies, and barbarous practices” (Zarco & Shoemaker, 2012, p. 29) in the state

university under the guise of initiation rituals. Furthermore, administrative officials may know,

perhaps not in its entirety, about this student campus violence as it is often done in secrecy,

according to Zarco and Shoemaker (2012).

To prevent violence and hazing within the university, the school’s administration

mandated polices that prohibit ferocious behavior of any student organization.

Under Article IV of the 2012 Code of Conduct of UP Diliman is the Guidelines for Students

and Registered Student Organizations. It is mentioned there, particularly for those people who

belong to different fraternities and sororities, that students engaging into any acts described

under RA 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law will likely result to a possible expulsion of the officers

of the organization and members involved in the act. Furthermore, the neophyte who allows

himself/ herself to be subjected to such rites and rituals shall be suspended for one (1) week to

one (1) semester and shall undergo counselling.

Section IV.2 of the said article talks about the Acts of Misconducts and Corrective Measures

for Registered Student Organizations, also mentioned therein that should any student violate

the RA 8049 will result to the disqualification from registration of the said organization for at

least five (5) years, until conditions imposed by the disciplinary body are met. The officers of the

organization shall be charged under Article IV Section 1.3.1.c (UPD, 2012)

 Unfortunately, the code of conduct othe case of Albert did not put an end to the hazing

practices in UP. To date, there are thirty-six (36) hazing deaths in the country, six (6) of which are

from UP (ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group, 2017).

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educational process. NASPA Journal, 28, 8-12.

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Cokley, K., Miller, K., Cunningham, D., Motoike, J., King, A., & Awad, G. (2001).

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