([tag]Cris Anthony Mendez[/tag] via his friendster account)
For the past days, my rollercoaster emotions got caught up with my own Justice for my son crusade. I will write about this soon. The news on the Hazing eyed in death of graduating UP student outraged and saddened me because it was a senseless death. (more news in here, here and Cris Mendez Dead, Justice for the Boy When?).
I knew the name of the fraternity even before the mainstream media picked it up. How? My husband is a frat man at the same campus and text messages circulated freely that Sigma Rho is suspected to be the fraternity behind the hazing. I asked my husband how could fraternities use this type of violent method to determine their qualified brods. Why can’t they just have non-physical initiation rites like implementing worthwhile projects? . My 2 girls overheard my suggestion and laughed “mom, this is a frat. It is not a macho thing to start projects”. What baffles me , how come, in this day and age, fraternities still find it necessary? It is barbaric.
Justice might have to wait as the Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU) claimed that Dr. Francisco Cruz who reportedly brought Cris Mendez to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) had gone into hiding.
Until yesterday, members of the fraternity, believed to have knowledge of how Mendez died, remained silent. A student, requesting anonymity, told the Inquirer the fraternity met Wednesday evening at an undisclosed location presumably to discuss the incident.
It saddens me to hear of UP students keeping silent about what they know of [tag]Cris Mendez[/tag]’ death. Shouldn’t they be just as guilty as those who beat the life out of Cris? If indeed Sigma Rho fraternity was involved in Cris death, then I hope that Sigma Rho alumni will uphold its traditions and accomplishments. As a fraternity based at the UP College of Law, Sigma Rho understands that there are laws and due process.
A Statement on the Death of Cris Anthony Garcia Mendez by Sergio S. Cao, Chancellor of UP Diliman says that are doing their best to bring justice to Cris.
We sternly urge the officers, members and alumni of the concerned fraternity to extend their full support and cooperation to the University and the authorities to swiftly bring this case to its just and proper resolution.
Rules and regulations governing the conduct of student organizations have been in place and strictly enforced since 1976, way before the passage of Republic Act No. 8049, or the Anti-Hazing Law in 1995. Successive UPD administrations have added teeth to these measures to make them even more responsive to the dynamics of the current interaction among these student organizations.
Yet the culture of violence continues to exist. It has to stop.
We therefore appeal to the fraternities, particularly their alumni, to take the lead in transforming the culture of violence into more productive endeavors to benefit the University and society.
The whole UP community should cooperate and seek the justice that is due to Cris.
Condolences continue to pour in at Cris Mendez Friendster account. Twenty-year-old Cris Anthony Mendez was a regular guy who ““wanted to meet everyone.”Picking up a line from a Tagalog movie, he would describe himself as ““Parang karinderia na bukas sa lahat ng gustong kumain.”
A violent death put an end to Cris short and happy life.
My heart goes out to the family of Cris Mendez. As a mother, losing a child is the worst nightmare anyone can ever imagine. Having lost my own son to sudden death, I tell you the pain is indescribable and struck me to the core of my heart. You would not even wish it on your enemy. His death will seem unreal to Cris’ family, the excruciating pain is like nothing they have ever felt. My thoughts about what they are going through just brings me buckets of tears. It will never stop hurting. My condolences to the mother and family members of Cris Mendez.
Nothing can bring their son back to them again but justice over their son’s death will save the future lives of your children.
Justice for Cris Anthony Mendez.
Read the Statement of The Jester-in-Exile On the Death of Cris Mendez
For up to date news: Read The true barbarians of UP (always UPDATED)
More on Cris Mendez
Blogs
Forums
Peyups.com Part 1
Peyups.com Part 2
Philmug
Videos
Justice for CA Mendez
Probe – Karahasan sa Loob ng Kapatiran
News Features
The Cris Mendez Case= Inquirer Special Report
Miriam eyes Senate probe of UP stude hazing death
QCPD promises deeper probe of UP student’s hazing death
QC cops to UP alumnus: Talk and save yourself
Suspected hazing victim laid to rest
Frat Hazing sa UP kinundena
UP Students seek justice for frat hazing victim
Death puts end to short, happy life of Cris
Unang Hirit’s video feed on Cris’s death
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This is sad, Noemi. Another senseless death for the sake of “brotherhood”. Such a young life snatched away, and for what??? I just went over to his friendster account. I read all the comments. As a mother, I am saddened and outraged too.
I pray with you for justice, and for comfort to come to the family.
@chateau- I pray that they will have the strength to pursue the justice of their son. It’s not easy for them I am sure.
I do hope and pray for them indeed.
I’m sorry to hear that another life has been lost because of violent hazing. Cris Anthony Mendez is so young and has a promising life ahead of him. It’s sad to think he died like that. May justice prevail and the guilty punished accordingly.
my thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.
i cannot imagine the pain the family must feel. i feel for them.
i feel really bad that there seems to be more indignation over malu fernandez’ insult than over cris mendez’ death. the seeming apathy is disappointing — no, it’s rather sickening.
I know that there are some frats in UP who participates in Gawad Kalinga for their initiation and for their other activities. So it is possible for them not to resort to hazing. Such a sad death. 🙁
“Nothing can bring their son back to them again but justice over their son’s death will save the future lives of your children.”
I was touched, reading this last line. This is one reason why we should put our best effort to stop this practice of hazing. To require one person to undergo such physical and psychological pain is barbaric and no rational person would put up with any justification for it.
@rach and dexie- yes prayers are what Cris family needs right now
@The Jester in Exile- ah apathy kills. I guess it doesn’t really hit some people to the core. I am hoping the persons behind Cris death will soon be found .
@Prudence- These frats just don’t stop their crazy traditions. It’s so stupid. Maybe this time, they will learn.
This whole hazing ritual is so useless. Nobody benefits from it. How many deaths do we have to witness before hazing is finally put to an end. The sad truth is that even some of the higher ups are not lifting a finger because some of them, if not most, are probably members of several of those “brotherhoods”.
Fraternities in the Philippines have a really bad connotation already. Their whole concept of brotherhood is even warped. Here in Cebu, frat-wars are common and a lot of people have died because of it already, even those who aren’t even members are victims. I have a cousin who was beaten by a rival fraternity and his so-called brothers just ran away, leaving him alone. I don’t think they truly understand their concept of brotherhood already. I think it’s only in the Philippines that the word fraternity instill fear in others. It’s unfortunate because a large group of people could do so much good with the resources they have among each other, but instead, they invest their time and energy in a senseless power war.
I was also from UP (not diliman), my ex-bf was a frat man. i always fear for his safety. i don’t hate frats but i dislike hazing, for all the logical and moral reasons. my prayers are with the family, i have a son, and I don’t think I can bare losing my son. may the family and cris get the justice they deserve.
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It’s rwally quite worrying. Years had passed and this still exist. Can’t they create a different strategy for letting someone join a group. I think this is appalling.
Not heard something similar like this in London or in the UK as a whole. But perhaps I’m probably missing the headlines. But i can’t deny that crimes do exist here as well.
@kongkong- the sad fact is the culture is so ingrained already. A habit that’s hard to get rid of
@Maris- what i can’t understand is why they will call each other brod after all that paddling?
@issai- cris could have been any parent’s son. Such a nightmare. One can afford to be apathetic only because the boy is not their son. Yet it could happen to any parent.
@PINOY UNITED- it’s existed for years already. Then when hazing was banned, the frats just went underground.
i first read this news in the metro section of pdi. my heart bled for the mother, (if im not mistaken) she was in the province when she received a call about her son’s death. when she arrived in manila, nasa funeral home na ang anak niya.
i too hope for justice for cris and his family. and i hope such rituals will be put to an end.
I have actually watched a hazing ritual of the beta sigma frat and being only 15 then (my cousin was one of the members and his GF was also my friend), it left a negative imprint in my mind. I never joined any sorority at UP and my impression of fraternity guys was not good either. I couldn’t fully understand the physical punishment done to those wishing to join.
I can’t believe that at this day and age it still exists. I only hope and pray that it should be abolished soon if it does not kill, it maims not only physically but mentally. How can anyone ever condone such senseless brutality and assautl. sorry – i feel strongly for this..
thanks for the post, Noemi…
by the way you should visit Australia in the near future….it’s nice here …
@lady cess- I read in the Peyups.com forum that she is a single mom. Tough to be carrying all of this grief
@vicky- I cannot understand these paddling rituals. Does not make sense at all. It’s so stupid. I hope to visit Australia one day . I bet it’s nice there.
and this frat even have a website… and a wikipedia entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UP_Sigma_Rho
HIERARCHY OF LOYALTY
1. God
2. Country
3. Family
4. University of the Philippines
5. University of the Philippines College of Law
6. Sigma Rho
i guess lets change it to:
HIERARCHY OF LOYALTY
1. Satan
2. Country
3. Family
4. University of the Philippines
5. University of the Philippines College of Law
6. Sigma Rho
right now, i’m thinking of making another post on cris’ death.
funny thing, it’s only now that it hit me — that what happened to cris could’ve happened to me or to any of my classmates.
i think this is why this issue is personal… and it is probably also why i’m very disappointed that it seems that few bloggers, especially those from UP or are alumni of UP, have not gone ahead and posted about it.
It enrages us. For now. But I feel we’re all up for disappointment when people responsible will get away, without being tried in the courts of law. I mean, that’s the point of joining these organizations di ba? When the going gets tough, you can count on the frats connections to pull you out.
The stupidity of fraternities is not really the existence of the organizations themselves. It’s these inane initiations that they still do. We have a law on hazing and yet we have kids — and adults! — who intentionally participate, whether directly or indirectly.
I’d like to think that there are plenty of ways (more human and less stupid) to prove one’s desire to join. It’s one thing to keep tradition and ideals, and its another to pull it all down with this underground culture of violence.
Hazing needs to OUTGROWN by fraternities if they truly want to rise above these senseless incidents.
Can’t help but comment on your post.
“It saddens me to hear of UP students keeping silent about what they know of Cris Mendez’ death. Shouldn’t they be just as guilty as those who beat the death out of Cris?”
It also saddens me that you would think this way. Even if you don’t see UP students talking to the media about what they know doesn’t mean they are not speaking up/ coming out for Cris.
@falsebrotherhood- well their priorities are warped
@the jester in exile- precisely I mentioned it in this entry. It might not be your classmate but if this persists, it can happen to your future friend’s kid or someone you know. Why wait for that to happen.
@unsent postcards- I heard that sometimes the alumni are the one who are more “enthusiastic”. I can only hope like you do that frats will not use hazing as an initiation procedure
@peter- i wrote this entry aug 31. Today is sept 3. maybe they read my entry. and now hope you’re right and I am wrong
I am just enraged how people are silenced by this senseless killings. The Malu Fernandez brouhaha has elicited more response, to think that nobody died from reading her stupid article. If frats/sororities, fratmen and women are serious about ending this tradition of violence, my challenge is this: that your frat or sorority release a condemnation of these hazings and a commitment to a hazing-free initiation rites.
I have just read the official statemet of the UP Law Student body on the death of Mendez and this is what I have to say: cut the crap!! I have enough of your cry for temperance. This is the only statement I need to hear from you and your orgs: WE CONDEMN HAZING AND WE WILL NEVER CONDUCT HAZING FOR INITIATION RITES EVER AGAIN. Simple and clear, you don’t have to be a lawyer to say that!!!
my heart cries out to the mother and to the family.
and still, i could not see any sense in this hazing thing. no person can play with life–no one is God, not even play God, or be “near to what God is”.
senseless….
the height of brutality…
when will these frat/orgs ever learn?
I didn’t want to read this na sana, Noems I get depressed and angry.
The question is: when will they learn. Why don’t they put up a poster “remember venturina, etc” and now “remember cris mendez’ where they hold initiations? Just like what mass media does on the eve of new year’s eve to remind people of firecracking hazards.
It seems like everyone’s scared to go out against the implicated fraternity.
– No one’s speaking up.
– In the news report I read on Cris’ autopsy, the doctor didn’t even want himself to be named to the media.
– I’ve been in UP for the past few days for some business. When I arrived home, I looked back at multiply photo album of the signs and banners posted around UP this time last year. It was such a noisy and active campus with people fighting for the 2 female students abducted, the tuition fee increase protest, anti-GMA causes, etc. But now that a fellow student has died in the hands of other students, there seems to be silence. Not a single poster. It just shows the culture of fear that fraternities (which have provoked violence) have established in their environment.
Good day Ms. Noemi.
I was also one of the first people to know what fraternity was behind the incident (seeing as I am studying Journalism in UP and I work in the Philippine Collegian–UP’s official student newspaper), and of course everyone in the Collegian office were shocked, filled with grief, and became angry. More so when our photog (we are keeping the identity secret as this photog can be a target of the frat) showed us the photos taken of almost every inch of Cris’ body. Cris’ arm was swollen and the bone was broken in two. The stomach was damaged. His face was the only body part left untouched.
It saddens me still how anyone can die from something so senselessly. Couldn’t we have learned our lesson from past fraternity deaths?
Join the call to end all fraternity violence. Justice for Cris Mendez.
I am a UP student, actually a graduating UP student and I am ashamed of what my fellow students did (Hell, one of the Sigma Rho members is one of my former classmate).
What they did is senseless and barbaric, to think that it was done by the iskolars ng bayan who pride themselves as matatalino. Damn! Aren’t they ashamed of the Filipino people who pay taxes so that we can get an edcution?
I am really ashamed. Let the murderers of Cris be punished.
Stop hazing. Stop barbarism in the University.
“Aren’t they ashamed of the Filipino people who pay taxes so that we can get an edcution?”
—This is another reason why we all have to make a move to stop this barbaric practice of hazing. The education of these students are subsidized by the people’s taxes but what do they do? Kill another student whose education is also sustained by people’s taxes. Those who use this barbaric practice are wasting the nation’s money by putting an abrupt end to an otherwise potential bright future of a young man.
Hi Noemi, like you I am outrage by the senseless death and feel so sad for the mother. I remembered some friends (Sigma Rhoans, one is a former Archon) would skip classes in law school everytime trouble’s brewing with another fratmen. I can’t understand this thing with fraternities, will it make them good men, get them to high places? One lawyer-politician commented on tv, how can they become good lawyers when they’re considered as criminals already (the ones involved in Cris Mendez hazing)…Ironic…
Nakakalungkot, nakakaasar, nakakapanghinayang,
Pwede nyong ma-trace lahat ng nag-txt at namilit kay Cris na sumali. Basta may court order kayo, Globe or Smart can trace all those who texted him and eventually pwede nyo ring malaman kung saan sila nagtatago thru GPRS.
NAGAWA NA NG SMART ITO KAY HONASAN.
PLS. GAWIN NIYO NA BAGO PA SILA LUMABAS NG BANSA!!
WALA KASI KONG NABALITAAN NA MAY HOLD DEPARTURE ORDER SA MGA SUSPECTS.
SIGMA RHO, CUTE NG INA NIYO TALAGA!!!!
we dont need to abolish the fraternity in all campus….
the case of mendez is a lesson to all sigma rhoan….. and to all involve just face and accept the reality that they committed such situation…….
collegiate fraternities has diferent objectives in order to serve mankind….be one of ours those who want to belong…not to finished them….
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didn’t realise you replied to my comment..yeah come and visit …it’s really nice here it’s like the US too but less of the rat race i think. We live in a pretty laid back area. Just tell me when you are ready to come.
I agree with you, Lester. If we really don’t push for reforms and changes, then the aspirations of those who fight for Cris will turn into trash.
I was so shocked…another innocent’s life was again died.I hope those who did it will surrender for Cris sake…you are so animals…you dont deserve to be alive…
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One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:
“LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me.”The LORD replied:
“My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”