RICARDO M.

ZARCO
DONALD J. SHOEMAKER

Report on Student
Organization Conflicts,
University of the Philippines,
Diliman, 1938-2000

This report presents patterns of fraternity violence in the University of the

Philippines, Diliman based on historical data from the late the period since the
1930s to the 1990s. Recollections of professors and students, as well as recorded
incidents of violence, which include inter-fraternity violence and in the campus
based on police records, reports and communications with UP administrators
were analyzed.
Violence is more common in fraternities than other types of student
organization. There have been six recorded deaths connected with fraternity
hazing since 1954. Since 1969 five deaths occurred including inter-fraternity
violence. Three hazing deaths occurred in the 1990s, two more in the late 1990s,
and the last in 2000. Student organizations did not assume the nature of gangs
until the 1960s. The number and seriousness of violenceincreased in the 1990s.
Past violence involved less lethal weapons while serious weapons increased
in the 1990s. Most inter-fraternity incidents occur during the daylight hours,
around noon, and in the late afternoon, near academic buildings and appear to be
motivated by reprisal, suggesting elements of planning.
Longer-range planning informed by an understanding of what motivates to
join organizations such fraternities will be more effective in preventing violence.

Keywords: fraternity, campus violence, UP Oilman, hazing

Philippine Sociological Review (2012) Vol. 60 • pp. 19-70 19

 INTRODUCTION
is paper serves as a follow-up to a report presented to the faculty
nd administration of the University of the Philippines, Diliman
Tampus (UPD) in December 1995, and published in the Philippine
Sociological Review (Zarco and Shoemaker 1995). The earlier report
covered the time period of January 1, 1991 through December 1994.
This current report covers the 1930s up to the year 2000.
This study makes use of data on campus incidents of violence
as recorded by the University of the Philippines Police Department,
Quezon City campus. In addition, information for this report comes
from investigations conducted by various administrative units in
U.P. Diliman and by the senior author.
The purpose of this report is to describe past and present
incidents of inter-fraternity violence in the U.P. Diliman campus.
The report includes information on incidents of violence, the
fraternities involved in the fracases, the weapons used and the
injuries incurred in the assaults, and the times and locations of the
violence incidents. It concludes with a discussion of recommended
strategies to prevent future occurrences of inter-fraternity violence
in the U.P. Diliman campus.
While this paper discusses histOrical and contemporary patterns
of student violence, the focus will be on two major violence issues:
that of inflicting bodily harm to applicants for membership into
student organizations; and the violence between student factions,
particularly among fraternities. These are the predominant types of
violence problems encountered by U.P. authorities in the past 35
years.

Ricardo M. Zarco (1930-2011) was Professor Emeritus, Department.of the

Sociology, University of the Philippines, Diliman. Donald). Shoemaker is
Professor at the Department of Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University, Blacksburg. The authors wish to thank the research assistance
of Marion R. Dulnuan and Cecilia Cabusas. This study was supported by funds
from the Center for Integrative and Development Studies, University of the
Masked and naked: fratemity neophytes at the Oblation Run in
in UP Diliman. (Photo by Joseph Ceas) Philippines.

21
 There are other forms of student violence. However, an investigation practical method in revisiting the past was to interview individuals who
revealed that those, which occur outside the influence of student were students of U.P. at certain selected periods: the pre-war years from
organizations, are insignificant. The most frequent ones, and the ones 1938 to December of 1941; the early post-war years from October-
that incur the most serious consequences, are severe fraternity hazing November of 1945 to 1954; and the 1960s, from 1960 to 1966.
and gang fights between fraternities. A total of 14 undergraduate respondents were purposively
selected for the pre-World War II period. In choosing the respondents,
PART I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND precedence was given to those who continued contact with the
University as graduate students, as faculty, and as residents on campus
The Pre-World War II Years, 1938 to December 1945 over those with whom the University lost contact. Respondents were
This period in the University of the Philippines was one of uncertainty, asked to reflect on a series of questions before giving their replies. The
both for the Filipino scholar and the university student in a secular questions include:
governmental institution of learning. Just how far new freedoms 1. Were there student factions that violently fought with each
extended was something yet to be discovered. other during your student days? (This question was asked of all
Coming from a doctrine-guided Spanish colonial education, a respondents in the study.)
secular governmental university was a new experience. It had a different 2. Were students subjected to violent initiation practices when they
orientation. The concept of academic freedom was still vague, but was applied for membership into fraternities and sororities?
starting to gain meaning. Students were discovering how far they could 3. Could you remember a single case of students inflicting violence on
push their activities - how far the university would set the limits to others, e.g. students and other persons, during your student days?
student activity. 4. What was student misbehavior like during your student days?
There were two U.P. presidencies over the pre-World WarlI years
-Dr. Jorge C. Bocobo (1934-1939) and Dr. Bienvenido M. Gonzalez Results
(1939-1943, 1945-1951). These presidents had slightly different No student organizationwas in violent conflict with other
objectives, were in extremely different situations, and dealt with organizations or against individual students during this period. Out
political and governmental pressures on the university in different of the 14 respondents, not one could recall a single violent incident
ways. While the direction of U.P. 's thrust was issued, the administrative between student organizations during the reference years. One
concerns differed under the two presidencies, and these affected student respondent, who resided adjacent to the campus, claimed that there
activity. were a few violent skirmishes between fraternities before 1938. But
the University was able to implement effective measures so much so
Method that in 1938 to December of 1941, no fighting occurred. During this
The 2nd World War and the battle for Manila in 1945 destroyed most period, student organizations were competing in refereed debates on
of the office and archival records. The papers that survived were also national issues. Student organizations also focused on campus control
discarded when the U.P. Main Campus transferred to Diliman, Quezon through student elections. They competed for seats in the student
City in December 1948. Furthermore, U.P. had no central record council and for the chairmanship of the student council. Furthermore,
depository involving student disciplinary cases, making it even more students were after the much coveted post of editor-in-chief of the
difficult to secure documents for this paper. For these reasons, the most University paper. Violence, however, was never applied in acquiring

22 23
 these positions. Was there hazing or violent initiations? Hardly any three years later. The student was tried in 1937 and was acquitted by
violent incidents were spontaneously recalled. No student was killed the Supreme Courtin October 24, 1940 (Francisco 1965).
because of hazing. Initiations were mild. Occasional injuries were One of the most celebrated cases of authoritarian overreaction to an
reported, but these were slight physical injuries. Student applicants imagined or invented student misbehavior was the Albert Discourtesy
for membership into organizations were hazed but not brutally case:
beaten.
Unless prodded, not one of the 14 respondents could remember a Manuel L. Quezon, President of the Philippines, conducted a surprise
single episode of violence during their pre-war student days. Perhaps visit to the U.P. main campus to see if the on-going construction of the U.P.
U.P. then was peaceful and tranquil, or the process of recalling events Rifle Range beside the College of Engineering building was excessively
that took place 57 to 60 years ago is severely limited. Nevertheless, obstructing the parade ground. Deciding to extend the inspection into the
there were violent incidents and cases of student misbehavior. One of academic units, he, with his entourage of three cabinet secretaries, and
these is the mashing incident, which occurred during the U.P. torch a military aide, entered the College of Engineering building. President
parade in the early evening hours of January 14, 1941. Quezon met four ROTC cadets in uniform. The cadets were so surprised
The torch parade was organized by U.P. President Bienvenido that they forgot to salute the President. Quezon sternly lectured to them
Gonzalez, Vice-President H.B. Reyes, and Professor Pedro Franco, how to respect the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
and had Jose Yulo, speaker of the Philippine National Assembly, country. The President was in this foul mood when he went to the 2nd floor.
as guest of honor. The organizers invited students from 19 other As he looked into the classroom, he saw a student slouching with feet
colleges and universities in Manila to join the festivity, which started raised, resting against the back of a seat in front. As Quezon approached
at sundown at the nearby Legislative Building grounds. Soon after, the portal, Professor Antonio Albert saw him. His class stood up and
sections of the crowd turned into frenzied mobs and molested the girls. Albert met the President excitedly. The President upbraided Professor
The ROTC cadet officers who were earlier assigned to protect the Albert and scolded him for allowing his student to slouch and raise his feet
girls proved powerless. The mashing incident led to the investigation without his objection. Albert felt humiliated in front of the students and
of the commandant of the U.P. ROTC, Major Ricardo Poblete, whose Quezon's entourage. He answered back, which further infuriated Quezon.
cadet officers were supposed to provide security for the women student The President further told Albert that he was not standing ramrod straight
participants. Days after the incident the loudest protest against the U.P. while addressing the President of the country. Professor Albert by this
organizers came from the head of a nearby exclusive girls school (The time offered to resign if he was accused of not knowing his responsibilities
Philippine Herald 1941; Lazaro 1985). as professor. U.P. President Jorge Bocobo, who was by then standing
Another violent incident was the arrest and prosecution of a U.P. near Quezon, was ordered by the latter to accept the resignation. The
male student for the murder-assassination of his family's political U.P. President called for an emergency meeting of the Board of Regents
rival. The murder occurred on the eve of September 20, 1935; and and by 9:00 P.M. of the same day, the board accepted the resignation
the alleged weapon was a military training rifle believed to have been of Professor Antonio Albert with a reprimand. The next morning at 8:00
taken from the U.P. Rifle Range Armory. The first group of suspects - A.M.,Professor Albert was reinstated by U.P. President Bocobo. Albert
relatives of the student - was arrested and later acquitted. The second went to Malacanang Palace to apologize. He was accompanied by his
batch of suspects, which include the U.P. student, was arrested almost father Vicente Albert, who was then the Supreme Court's clerk of court.

24 25
 President Quezon redundantly ordered U.P. President Bocobo to reinstate absence of normalcy. Privation was a dominant condition. Survival
Albert (Salamanca 1985; Salamanca 1939). was still a major concern for many. The stench of corpses pervaded.
Unexploded bombs were still scattered on the streets. Few colleges
Analysis reopened; departments that required laboratory equipment were not
A review of the known, campus violence incidents and student operational.
cases of misbehavior reveals no consistent pattern. In general, most
cases were not recurrent or predictable. For instance, the U.P. mashing Methodology
incident has not recurred as of this report and the murder case earlier We could not find a single U.P. student who enrolled when U.P.
mentioned had no equivalent in the years to follow. reopened in 1945. However, four male students, including the writer,
The publicized Albert discourtesy incident was not a case of student enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts from 1947 to 1950, were
misbehavior because the offending student was never identified, contacted and became respondents for this post-war period.
warned, reprimanded, or chastised in any way.' The case was actually
seen as one involving the misbehavior of a Philippine President who, Results
at that instance, was tactless, inconsiderate of other people's feelings, Student activities were revived. The student paper, The Philippine
and cruel to his subordinates. Collegian, was reborn in September 1946. The U.P. Student Council
Hazing was tolerable and mild. It must be made clear that hazing in was reactivated right after U.P. reopened.
its severest form did not originate in the University of the Philippines. By 1947, fraternities were found to be recruiting members, and
Its practice has been observed even before the pre-war years covered hazing was noted to be more severe. Three of the four respondents
by the study, in the Philippine Constabulary Academy, the forerunner became fraternity members. They were slapped, subjected to
of the present Philippine Military Academy, then located in Camp abdominal and upper-arm fistic blows; one was horse whipped on the
Allen, Baguio (Alcaraz 1997). legs; one was ordered to eat two cigarettes; and one was ordered to
drink water from a toilet bowl. These initiations were held at night,
The Early Post-War Years, August 1945 to 1954 some inside the campus, others outside. One of the respondents was
The University of the Philippines reopened in August of 1945. In made to eat two large loaves of bread, drink a gallon of water, and jog
the writer's opinion, this was a bit too early since suffering from four on the parade ground until he vomited. Two respondents were told to
years of war was not over for many. Hundreds of our students died or extinguish lighted cigarettes with their bare fingers. These practices
were killed by the enemy. All the buildings in U.P. were destroyed, continued even as the University transferred to Diliman, Quezoñ City
some completely, others partially. Very few students were ready to go in December 1948 (with the actual massive transfer taking place in
to school. The enrollment for the reopening semester of 1945 was only early January to June 1949).
2,199, a mere one-third of what it was in 1939-40 (A!caraz 1985). The In April and May 1949, during summer classes, the writer witnessed
writer visited the University months after it reopened and noticed the fraternity initiations held in one of the academic buildings. These
buildings were huge barn-like structures, left open in the evenings
A male respondent, an engineering student in 1939, said that he was
as the campus was completely deserted by sunset. Security was lax
inside the classroom when the Albert Discourtesy Case happened. He
because there were not enough inhabitants in the new university town.
knew the identity of the "feet-raising student." He recalls that the student
Privacy was ensured in these buildings for fraternities to conduct
was never identified, scolded, or reprimanded by the U.P. authorities.

26 27
 initiations. The writing paddles of the classroom chairs were ripped mentioned brutalities, indecencies, and barbarous practices applied
off and used as clubs. Applicants were struck on the back, buttocks, during initiations. In support of this assertion, Valenzuela read a
and legs, slapped hard, subjected to fistic blows in the abdomen and document entitled:
on the upper arm. These blows came when the applicant could not
answer questions to the satisfaction of their fraternity masters. Violation Notes of the U.P. Upsilon Sigma Phi:
The wide expanse of the new campus and the privacy it offered 1945 • Embarrassed two freshmen girls on campus
the fraternities made it an ideal spot for initiations. Curiously, 1946 • Ten (frat men) violated initiation rules committed
there were no deaths. The writer could not recall if doctors in in Santo Tomas University
the U.P. Health Service treated those injured. The U.P. Deans of Five (frat men) violated initiation rules committed
student discipline, such as the Deans of Men and Women, were in the Philippine Women's University
most probably unaware of these events because secrecy was strictly • Hanged an applicant by his thumbs for two hours.
practiced by both victims and tormentors. It is unlikely that U.P. Extracted finger nail of an applicant with a pair of
President Gonzalez knew or even heard of rumors of such incidents. scissors. Was sick because of this.
Data - apart from anecdotal evidence from the three U.P. students • Made to drink a glass (full) of "Toyo"
and the writer, who were students within the periodof 1945 to 1954 • Ponciano Mathay (a student) was made to drink
- suggest that the Deans of discipline, such as the Deans of Men two bottles of gin in Malabon (Alcaraz 1954:
and Women, the U.P. Presidents (Dr. B. Gonzalez and Dr. Vidal 73L76)
Tan), and U.P. Health Service doctors, all knew that fraternities and
sororities were employing severe initiation practices. A further perusal of the Albert Case Report show testimonies by
In July 18, 1954, Gonzalo Mariano Albert died after he had U.P. students, faculty, and the University Catholic Chaplain,that reveal
undergone a part of the initiation process conducted by Upsilon Sigma in detail the nature of the practices of fraternity and sorority initiation
Phi fraternity. The young Albert developed stomach pain, was rushed to rituals. The following testimonies are under oath:
a hospital, diagnosed, and was undergoing an appendectomy when he
died on the operating table. An investigation committee of Philippine • Maria Mercedes Lozez, music student, member of the Sigma Delta
President Ramon Magsaysay, composed of Secretary Fred Ruiz Phi, a sister sorority of the Upsilon Sigma Phi - applicants were
Castro, Dr. Arturo Garcia, and Professor Vicente Lontok, conducted ordered to drink the sorority cocktail consisting of a mixture of
the inquiry and submitted their findings and recommendations in a castor oil, Tabasco, vinegar and crushed pepper. Made to walk on
report on October 29, 1954 (Alcaraz 1954). their knees from the gate to door of the house. If they refuse to drink
The investigation conducted by the Committee virtually opened up the sorority cocktail, they were made to drink more, or required to
a "can of worms" and exposed the violence, immoralities, and practices put out her tongue, upon which Sloan liniment is poured on her
brought into the University by some student organizations. tongue resulting in the loss of appetite (perhaps taste) for several
Dr. Patrocino Valenzuela, the Dean of Men, in a speech dated • days. They are also made to smoke a common cigar passed from
September 2, 1950 (in Diliman), on the subject of University one neophyte (perhaps applicant is the appropriate term); required
Fraternities and Sororities, summarized the advantages and to inhale and exhale smoke through their noses and mouths; spin
disadvantages of these student organizations. Dean Valenzuela

28
29
 like a top until dizzy and collapse; dance suggestive dances; raise
their skirts to their waists (Alcaraz 1954:40-4 1).
• Teodoro Abueva Jr. Advertising man. Initiated into the Sigma Rho
in 1946. He believes that the presence of the faculty adviser would
not make a difference. When he was initiated, the fraternity adviser,
Professor Quisumbing, was there. Believes that they (fraternities) are
responsible for many undemocratic practices in the campus elections.
Fraternities and sororities control political and social positions in the
campus. The kidnapping of representatives of student council and
junior councils. He is for the total abolition of frats and sororities
because the good done is not balanced by the harm to the students
and the university as a whole (Alcaraz 1954:39).
• Teodoro Tavita, Liberal Arts Student, applied to Beta Sigma, July
1954, brought to the South dorm, was paddled nine times on the
butt, kicked, kneed, and slapped. Could not walk as a result of kicks
he received; parts kicked were bluish, swollen. He had a physical
exam at the infirmary (U.P. Health Service) after. He denounced
the frat men to Dean A. Abejo (Alcaraz 1954:46).
• The U.P. Catholic Chaplain, Fr. John Patrick Delaney S.J., details
the varied torture practices such as the "pinch and grip," burning
with a cigarette, whipping, and flogging, immortalities, the stomach
treatment, and other barbarous practices (Alcaraz 1954:78-80).
• Armando J. Malay, columnist of Manila Chronicle, on July 22,
1948, Thursday, mentions that Prof I. Pansaliguis' son was tortured,
his nails removed
• Tony Viterbo, son of Prof. Viterbo was beaten until he vomited
blood, lost consciousness, and became a raving maniac before
he was hospitalized. All these were the result of applications for
membership into the Upsilon Sigma Phi.

How could the sudden change of initiation or hazing severity

increase in contrast to the pre-war days? Professor Vicente Sinco of
the College of Law was asked this question. He, without hesitation,
blamed the laxity of moral standards that (usually) follow a war
(Alcaraz 1954:45)
Figure I. Manila Chronicle. 29 July 1954, page 4.

30 31
 The investigation committee also suggests the severity of hazing to initiations had suddenly increased in severity after U.P. resumed
have increased since liberation (the liberation of U.P. PGH areas took operations in 1945. Blaming World War II is simple and expedient,
place in February 1945) (Alcaraz 1954: 75).Even the editorial cartoon
and even partly true. But what could explain the brutal hazing that took
of the Manila Chronicle follows this reasoning. place in 1935 at the Philippine Constabulary Academy?
But can we simply blame World War II for the sudden surge of student We must remember that cadets, as well as U.P. students, do not
campus violence that includes torturing applicants for admission into inform their school administrators. Not to squeal, to hide from
fraternities and sororities? Very severe hazing for freshmen cadets or plebes administrators the true state of affairs, is a value studentsand cadets
in the Philippine Military Academy existed long beforeWorid War II: uphold. For instance, a common practice in U.P. then was the kidnapping
and detaining of students from rival organizations who were running
.The most savage bullying or humiliation of plebes aptly called the for coveted positions. To prevent individuals from registering for a
"Hazing of the Century", happened in 1935 at the Philippine Constabulary
council position during the elections, these "victims" were kidnapped
Academy, forerunner of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) at Camp
but royally treated while in custody, which lasted for half a day to two
Allen, in Baguio. The "hazers" (perpetrators) were members of class 1937.
days. No complaint was ever filed by victims.
The victims belonged to class 1938. One of the plebes was bayoneted
The recommendations given in lieu of the Albert Case inquiry
in the belly, some vomited blood, while others passed out under savage
were not accepted. The U.P. President, the Deans of Men and
beating. No deaths were reported. This hazing became so scandalous that
Women, dormitory chiefs, and administrative officials were not in
it angered the then Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon (1935-
the least reprimanded. Only the Dean of Men was ordered removed
1944). A seven man investigating committee took all of three weeks to
from office, but he filed a case with the Quezon City court contesting
complete the probe, which was held behind closed doors at the spacious
the intent, won it, and stayed on his job until retirement. The four
Academic Library. After the investigation, President Quezon motored up
leaders of the fraternity were suspended only for one semester.
to Baguio to confront the entire cadet corps. Before an assembled somber
Three of the four College of Law students graduated and stopped
corps of cadets, he announced the committee's findings. He approved its
schooling.
recommendation to kick out of the academy eight-second class (junior)
When fraternities and sororities misbehaved, the U.P. administrative
cadets found guilty of brutal hazing. President Quezon did not spare his
officials - from the deans of discipline, dormitory matrons and heads, to
own nephew, Second Class Cadet Pedro Q. Molina, who was among
the President of the University - do know about the incidents, although
the dismissed. They were all members of the class of 1937. Six other
perhaps not in their entirety. However, solutions to the misbehavior
class 1937 cadets were found guilty of minor infractions of hazing. They
problems have not been effectively implemented. The failure of these
were given demerits and given punishment tours like walking the parade
sets of solutions hasfurther emboldened offending groups to continue
grounds for long hours. Not only did President Quezon dismiss the guilty
or increase their use of violence to achieve their goals.
cadets, he also threatened to close the academy, "Should this thing happen
While there were violent forms of initiations, there were no episodes
again", he roared, "I shall close the school!" (Alcaraz 1954:75)
of inter-fraternity fights during the early post-war years from 1945-
1954. In 1954, after the death of young Albert, Father John P. Delaney,
Analysis
Catholic Chaplain residing on campus, finally found his chance to
Combined anecdotal and historical data, particularly of the Albert
2
Case, show that student campus violence in the form of hazing or The writers conducted a record verification in the Office of the
University Registrar.

32
33
 denounce the fraternities he had grown to dislike. To counteract This reference period, 1960s-1966, entails segments of two U.P.
the fraternities, Delaney organized and nurtured the University of presidencies: Vicente G. Sinco (1956-1962) and Carlos P. Romulo
the Philippines Student Catholic Action (UPSCA). This student (1962-1966).
organization developed into a large religious organization in which
the faculty, administrative personnel, and common workers in U.P., Methodology
also joined. The UPSCA as a student organization engaged directly As in the previous sections, 12 respondents - four women and eight
in student politics, and was a power force at that. Father Delaney men - were chosen. All were U.P. students in undergraduate courses
wanted and strongly advocated for the abolition of fraternities and in the U.P. Diliman campus. The respondents' ages at the time of the
sororities. His advocacy was backed by his charisma and his very interview ranged from 41 to 45 years, all employed professionals.
strong community leadership. The fraternities did not take that Ten were former students of the writer. The spontaneity and clarity of
sitting down. The Upsilon Sigma Phi and the Sigma Rho, two of recalled events are remarkable.
the strongest rivals on campus, banded together. They set aside their
traditional rivalry. The alliance they formed led to accommodation Results
and cooperation between them. The fraternities set their sights against Most of the male students who attended U.P. in 1960-61 were
UPSCA, Father Delaney, and U.P. President Vidal Tan, whom they cautioned by their parents to avoid fraternities, fearing hazing violence.
saw as leaning favorably towards the Catholic block. In 1955, the All twelve respondents also categorically mentioned that fraternities
student council chair was won by the Upsilon, leaving the UPSCAns were already fighting as gangs when they attended U.P. in 1960-
defeated. Then, in January 1955, Fr. Delaney suddenly died of a 61. The gang fights in the early 1960s excluded weapons, and were
stroke (The Manila Times 1956). The leadership of Fr. Delaney was confined to bare hand-to-hand group fights (mano-mano). There were
crucial. The fraternity-UPSCA rivalry gradually died down. In July however, rules of engagement. For instance, a coed recalls that in the
1956, U.P. President Vidal Tan resigned. early 1960s, when a coed "escorts" a male student or two, the attack is
Without strong reason for alliance, the fraternities gradually became held off or postponed.
rivals once again. In 1956, UPSCA won the major student council When asked of the irritants that pushed groups to fight, replies
positions. The first signs of rival fraternities engaging in gang wars on delved into the following:
campus emerged in the 1960s. It was bound to happen.
1 All student positions of leadership which are attained via elections
THE BEGINNING OF STUDENT or nominations, for instance, positions in the U.P. student council,
ORGANIZATIONS AS GANGS, 1960-1966 the editorship of the student paper and the student yearbook, The
This is a period in U.P.'s history when fraternities began to fight Philippinesian, and the cadet commandership of the ROTC, are
inside the campus. The university community refers to a gang fight much sought-after positions that generate rivalry and conflict
as a "rumble." Fraternity fights must have begun a year or two earlier, among student organizations.
but by 1960 a recurrent, uniform pattern of conflict was already 2 Occasionally, fraternities, as well as non-fraternity male students,
identifiable. Coexistent with the "rumbles" are vicious forms of hazing fight over coeds. Dance floor incidents on campus generate quarrels.
and victimizing of applicants for membership into fraternities. Fraternity-held dances outside the campus are occasionally "gate
crashed" by others, triggering violence. The writer has witnessed

34 35
 several student campus violent incidents, from the 1 950s to 1999, deployed, and at a distance of 25 meters, the street below us turned into a
motivated by rivalry over girls. These are not necessarily associated battleground. Each group screamed invectives at each other, hurled their
with student organizations alone; such fights cut across student rocks and bottles, picked up some thrown rocks, and continued, until one
organizational statuses. Many of these fights are unpredictable, but or two combatants were hit. Motorized traffic came to a halt and a chase
when one or both of the protagonists are active fraternity men, the began. Later, I heard gunshots. My students who joined me in the corridor
incident could easily lead to a fraternity war. wanted to leave. I pushed them back to the classroom to continue classes.
3. New members of fraternities, wearing their fraternity emblem or Two of my students, most probably fratmen, ran from me, to join the
pins, strutting arrogantly, trying to impress the elder 'brods' of fracas.
their newfound masculinity, itch for a fight from passersby while
their companions stand by them. These neophytes purposely There are often shootings after an evening of celebration. One
block pedestrian passageways to elicit an awaited complaint from such incident took place in October 1966, during the celebration of
those irritated by the behavior, thereupon starting a quarrel. These Arbor Day. That evening, a hayride (parade) was scheduled. Without
incidents happen in the "stand by" areas that fraternities frequent warning, fraternity men started shooting at their rivals towards the end
during the late morning and noonday break hours. part of the parade.
4. Fraternity hangouts inside academic buildings during the 11 a.m. to During the same period, a fraternity war led to a shooting incident
1 p.m. period are centers of initial trouble. As fraternity members in the front lawn of the men's dorm, behind the College of Engineering.
increase in number, they are also increasingly emboldened to A student was badly hurt in the incident but survived, and returned
provoke other passersby for a quarrel through jeering, making to continue study. The perpetrators were not identified. By 1966,
snide remarks, and standing in the way of pedestrian traffic. All of knives, shotguns, pistols, clubs, and machetes (bolos) were among the
these were done to elicit nasty remarks from those affected. weapons confiscated by the police from belligerent groups on campus.
In the 1960s, the university administration initiated or brokered a,truce
By 1964, assorted weaponry started to be used, such as stones, between fraternities in conflict. But has this been effective in the long
empty soft drink bottles taken from nearby canteens, and sticks picked run? The same conflicts recurred, sometimes against other fraternitiesbut
up from the U.P. campus grounds. The writer witnessed a "rumble" one usually among the same traditional foes. During this period, there were
afternoon in 1964: miraculously no deaths. The first death from a fraternity fight occurredin
1968, when an Upsilonian student, Roland Perez, was killed on campus,
At around 3 p.m. while conducting a class on the 3rd floor of Palma not very far from the office of the U.P. President.
Hall, my student, a coed, seated near the doorway suddenly, stood up to Another feature of this time was the 'importing' of toughies and
warn me "Sir, Sir, there's a commotion outside!" I stepped out of the room armed gangsters to increase the fraternity's fighting strength. This
into the corridor and saw what looked like an ROTC platoon in military trend began in 1964, but the practice survived and has recurred several
marching formation below, right in front of Palma Hall building. I noticed times up to this writing. This remains a criminal trend on campus.
they weren't in uniform, also each "cadet" held an object in each hand.
These were a rock or an empty pop bottle, and sticks ripped off a plant The SABACA, Circa 1965-1970
enclosure. Across the street was a motley group of about 10 or 15 students SABACA is an acronym for Samahan ng mga Bastos sa Cantina
with the same weaponry, only fewer and less organized. The "platoon" (translation: Association of the Lewd, Rude, and Ill-mannered in

36
37
 the Canteen). This fraternity is non-formal; membership cuts across for one semester. As a result, three of the four leaders graduated with
formal fraternity organizations. Loosely bound, the common objective a bachelor of laws form the U.P. College of Law, the fourth a pre-med
is malicious mischief. There are around five core members. The student, discontinued schooling voluntarily. Fraternities became aware
initiation includes cigarette bums on the base of the forefinger, which of this victory - the punishment was light! The University officials, in
serves as their visible badge of identity. Activities involve hanging out direct supervision and control of student activities, eventually spared
in front of the U.P. Coop Canteen, adjacent to the chemistry pavilion, the fraternity men despite the recommended heavy penalties. All in all,
loud talk, shouts, raucous laughter, horseplay, profanity, harassment of the death of the young Albert did not spell the end of deadly hazing
passing coeds, and taunting of some of those patronizing the canteen. practices among fraternities; in fact, it was only the beginning.
The group would also detonate loud firecrackers to disturb ongoing In the subsequent decades, hazing deaths continued with a distinct
classes and bring in the security police. Once the security police arrive, pattern. The fraternities hold initiations away from the inquisitive
all have fled the area. view of the authorities of a College in the University; applicants
The SABACA is unique because it does not have formally organized are beaten to a comatose state, or to death, or made to perform an
membership. Membership is composed of students from various extremely dangerous task, whereupon a fatal accident happens. The
belligerent fraternities, but they do not fight with each other. They applicant is then abandoned, or taken to the nearest hospital by the
candidly state the purpose of the organization through their acronym. fraternity masters, then abandoned. Upon inquest, the fraternity masters
They have no expressed lofty goals, just pure malicious mischief, continuously lie brazenly, denying involvement in the hazing.The
openly declared and practiced. more affluent fraternity alumni from the government and/or the private
sectors immediately provide financial and legal assistance to those held
Analysis responsible, ignoring the suffering of the victim's survivors.
In 45 years, university administrators to date have not yet developed Hazing or initiation deaths are not only associated with universities
effective ways to curb recurrent hazing and gang fight deaths among with a free, open, and libertarian orientation, as some insist. They
student organizations. Fraternities conceal the initiation process from also occur in. other universities and colleges outside U.P., including
their faculty advisers. In the 1 950s, Dr. Patrocinio Valenzuela, Dean of the military and police academies. The earliest practice of scandalous
Men, required student applicants to go to the fraternity's faculty adviser hazing was in a rigid, tightly supervised, ideologically monolithic
to state their intent and take a physical exam at the Health Service, institution - the country's military academy, from the 1930s up to this
before and after initiations. This was the first step to curb excesses, but very day.3 The position of the educational institution in the Libertarian-
it was not improved upon, nor enforced, nor continued in later years. Totalitarian continuum, as some theorize, is not a variable linked to
The investigation committee of the Gonzalo Mariano Albert Case uncontrolled severe hazing and gang-fighting deaths.
submitted a set of recommendations to castigate the four fraternity
leaders of the Upsilon Sigma Phi by "expulsion without readmission"
3 A military academy "plebe" has been in coma since August 5, 1999, as a
from the University. The fraternity was found to have conducted an
result of hazing. Records of the Philippine Military Academy show that
illicit procedure, outside the campus, without the supervision of a 1997;
a total of 52 cadets had been dismissed on account of hazing since
faculty adviser. During the investigation, all members of the fraternity from Balana, Cynthia, D., "Orly
12 in 1997, 12 in 1998, and 28 in 1999,
lied under oath or committed perjury. The fraternity appealed. The
calls for halt in hazing" in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 9,
expulsion from the University was watered down to a mere suspension
2000, page 4.

38 39
 In the military academy, hazing is viewed as a tradition by some have increased in the 1990s. Moreover, the nature of these student deaths
of its alumni, who feel it should persist. The alumni insist on the has included inter-fraternity conflicts, in addition to hazing tragedies. It
continuation of "constructive" hazing and the elimination of the is these inter-fraternity conflicts, such as in the deaths of Venturina and
"destructive." The hair-splitting distinction, however, varies from one Calinao, which constitute the remaining subject matter of this report.
alumnus to another. Only non-military parents of the dead cadets want Gang fights are not strangers to totalitarian institutions. In
hazing eliminated.
Philippine jails and prisons, inmates create gangs as their own
In U.P., hazing is expected to be controlled to a tolerable level by the version of "fraternities." These are the dreaded OXO, Bahala Gang,
faculty adviser of the student organization, a responsible adult whose Sputniks, SigueSigue, and BCJ (Batang City Jail, or City Jail Youth).
position is to mediate. Faculty advisers are expected to do a balancing Riots resulting in deaths and injury of inmates in the Manila, Quezon
act in violent fraternities. They walk on a tight rope. Often, when a City, and Pasay City jails are routine. In the National Penitentiary,
hazing death occurs, the adviser is the last to know that an initiation the same groups exist, and they kill each other. Hazing or initiations
was conducted or that it was fatal. They are most often by-passed. The
rules to cover the student activities are weakened by loopholes, the
absence of a set of implementing guidelines, and, of course, a non-
existent structure of rule enforcement (Tirona 2000). Miss Alma G. Deaths from Fraternity Initiations and Gang Fights*
Tirona, of the Office of the Coordinator of Student Activities, revealed
Deaths from Fraternity Initiations
that rules, such as those in fraternity recruitment of freshmen (students FRATERNITY CONDUCTING
NAME OF STUDENT APPLICANT
NO. YEAR
with less than 30 credit hours) have no implementing guidelines or FOR MEMBERSHIP INITIATION
Upsilon Sigma Phi
enforcement structure. When fraternities by-pass faculty advisers 1. 1954 Albert, Gonzalo Mariano
Alpha Phi Omega
while conducting initiations, no implementing guidelines cover this 2. 1967 Tabtab, Ferdinand
Beta Sigma
offense. The absence of effective rule enforcement in U.P. on student 3. 1984 Liwag, Arbel
Scintilla Juris
4. 1992 Hernandez, Joselito
activities shows the basic lapse of the administration in addressing a
very serious problem. 5. 1995 Martin, Mark Roland Epsilon Chi
Alpha Phi Beta
6. 1998 Icasiano, Alexander Migi
Deaths from fraternity violence are categorized into two general
Total 6
types: (1) as a result of severe initiation of applicants for membership
and (2) deaths from gang fights. On the next page is the scoreboard for Deaths from Fraternity Gang Fights
FRATERNITY MEMBERSHIP
these two types of violent deaths on campus. NO. YEAR NAME OF STUDENT
Upsilon Sigma Phi
1. 1969 Perez, Rolando
From these recorded deaths, it can be seen that the incidents of
2. 1977 Abad, Rolando Alpha Phi Omega
homicide involving fraternity members or suspected members at U.P. Sigma Rho
3. 1994 Venturina, Dennis
No Frat Affiliation
Reconstructed from interviews from 4 respondents who were U.P. 4. 1999 Calinao, Niflo
Alpha Phi Omega
students who later entered the Mlitary Academy; and: (a) Abaflo, Robert; 5. 2000 Reyes, Den Daniel
Caluza, Desiree, "Mistahs say hazing as part of PMA," in Philippine Total 5
Daily Inquirer, February 12, Monday, 2000, page 4; *Sources of Data:
(b) Alcaraz, Ramon, Office of U.P. Chancellor, February 20, 2000
A., C ommodore (retired), "The Uses and Dangers
of Hazing," in the U.P. Police, February 2000
Philippine Graphic, April 4, 1997, pp. 46, 47. Office of the Coordinator of Student Activities (in U.P. Diliman), February 2000
Prof. Clarita Carlos, Department of Political Science, CSSP, UP., March 1, 2000

40
41
 are conducted non-violently, but solemnly. Tattooing of the neophyte Ateneode Manila University started operations in the late 1940s, no
follows, then the segregation of inmates. The rest of the period inside student campus death on account of willful homicide has occurred in
detention systems is marked by episodes of peace or taunts for rights. the Ateneo (Miralao 2000).
Overcrowding, the lack of funds, and poor administrative control over
inmates are the factors associated with gang fights. PART II. SOURCES OF DATA, 1991-1998
The main procedures U.P. utilized in managing or preventing The primary source of information for the rest of this report comes
fraternity violence have so far included making appeals to student from analyses of UPD Campus Police files from 1991-1998, which
groups to renounce violence, facilitating truces between warring contain information on reported inter-fraternity conflicts. Included
fraternities, making the protagonists pledge to refrain from further in these reports are data concerning the names and numbers of the
fights, and Sponsoring activities between various student groups and fraternities involved; the weapons used; and the times and locations of
administrators, whom they believe will establish rapport and positive the fracases or rumbles.
interaction between belligerent groups. The past Vice-Chancellor for In addition to police files, data for this report come from U.P.
Student Affairs believes that such methods drastically avert further administration figures and from observations of fraternity gatherings
violence and death. Supporters of such procedures say that the death conducted by the senior author.
toll of 11 students would have been much higher had it not been for
these appeals for sobriety.
The Problem: The Macro View
The authors feel that some of the 11 student deaths might have According to UPD Police investigative reports from 1991-1998,
been avoided had U.P. administrators used other more effective rule there were 171 reported incidents of inter-fraternity conflicts in the
enforcement methods in controlling student violence. When the campus. From the yearly figures presented in Table 1, it is observed

Table 1. Frequency of Violent Incidents between Fraternities Inside the Table 2. Number of Persons Involved, Injured, and Types of Injuries
University of the Philippines Campus in Quezon City, by Calendar Year Sustained as a Result of Violent Incidents between Fraternities,
YEAR NUMBER OF VIOLENT INCIDENTS by Calendar Year, University of the Philippines, Quezon City
U.F. CAMPUS QUEZON CITY NUMBER OF NUMBER OF PHYSICAL INJURIES SUSTAINED
YEAR PERSONS PERSONS
l99l Jan. to Dec. 31 37 INVOLVED INJURED SLIGHT SERIOUS KILLED
1992 Jan. to Dec. 31 27 l99l Jan. to Dec. 31 166 13 10 0 0
1993 Jan. to Dec. 31 25 1992 Jan. to Dec. 31 211 20 17 3 0
l994 Jan. to Dec. 3l 35 1993 Jan. to Dec. 31 326 32 29 3 0
1995 Jan. to Dec. 31
1 1994 Jan. to Dec. 31 150 30 24 5 1
1996 Jan. to Dec. 31 7 l995 Jan. to Dec. 31 2 0 0 0 0
l997 Jan. to Dec. 31 21 1996 Jan. to Dec. 31 27 2 2 0 0
1998 Jan. to Dec. 31 18 1997 Jan. to Dec. 31 90 16 15 1 0
Total 12 4
171 1998 Jan. to Dec. 31 136 17
* Primary data compiled by the University of the Philippines Police, Quezon City Investigation Section. Total 1108 130 109 16 2
Table prepared by Marion Dulnuan, 07 May 1999
*Primary data compiled by the University of the Philippines Police, Quezon City Investigation Section.
- Table prepared by Marion Dulnuan, 7 May 1999

41
43
 that the majority of these conflicts occurred from 1991 to 1995. After Table 3. U.P. Fraternity Violence: Weapons Used in the Assault
the death of the studentVenturjna in December 1994, the incidents and Their Frequency (January 1991 to December 1998)
of inter-fraternity violence declined significantly, with only one WEAPONS FREQUENCY

such incident recorded for all of 1995. From 1996 through 1998, the Steel Pipes 192
incidents of fraternity conflicts increased. One result of this increased Fists 60
hostility among fraternities was the alleged murder-for-hire killing of Pillbox 51
a supposed non-fraternity student in February 1999. Another student Baseball Bats 37
was stabbed to death in February 2000. Wooden Clubs 22
Glass Bottle 19
The magnitude of these conflicts can also be measured by the
Stones 19
number of students involved. The data is presented in Table 2. For 10
Molotov Bomb
the eight-year period (1991-1998), it is observed that a total of 1108 10
Tear Gas
people were involved in inter-fraternity conflicts. However, the number Stick 10
of young men injured in these incidents was much lowerat 130, or Paper Cutters 9
approximately 12% of the total. Knives 7
The data in Table 2 also indicate the relative non-seriousness of the Guns 4
injuries incurred as a result of the rumbles. Most of the injuries were Ice Picks 3
classified as "slight, physical" injuries, which means that the injury Fan Knife 3
required less than 10 days of medical treatment. Not to be ignored, Tennis Racket 3
however, is the fact that students have been killed and maimed in these Chaco 2
fights. Wooden Paddle 2
Softdrink Bottle 1
The kinds of weapons used in these battles area reason for the
Rubber Pipe
relatively minor physical damage. As the numbers in Table 3 indicate,
Long Knife 1
the predominant weapon used, at least according to police reports and
Ax I
confiscations, is a steel pipe, mistakenly identified as a lead pipe in Gloves 1
some of the accounts. Steel pipes are relatively light, not so light as to Firecrackers (100 pcs) 1
be harmless, but certainly not as heavy as lead pipes. Other weapons Pillbox Materials 1
commonly used are fists, pillboxes, bats and clubs, bottles, and stones. Rattan Stick 1
Again, while these weapons are certainly dangerous, they are not as Walking Stick
lethal as guns or knives. Wrench 1
From the text of this report, it may be inferred that the problem Total 473
of inter-fraternity violence in the UPD campus is universal to all Primary data source: University of the Philippines Police Department, Quezon City Campus
fraternities. This assumption is false. According to the figures displayed
in Table 4, there are only a few fraternities significantly involved in
fights or rumbles. In fact, seven fraternities figure in 74% of the total
violent and near-violent incidences from 1991-1998. Furthermore,

44
45
 Table 4. Types of Violent Incidents between Student Organizations Table S. Rank Frequency of Student Confrontation Between
in the University of the Philippines, Quezon City (January 1991 to Fraternities, by Pairs University of the Philippines, Quezon City
December 1998) Types of Violent and Near Violent Incidents (January 1991 to 31 December 1998 Inclusive)
Z FREQUENCY OF
RANK FAIRS OF FRATERNITIES VIOLENT INCIDENTS

1 Sigma Rho vs. Upsilon Sigma Phi 24

Z 2 Alpha Phi Beta vs. Sigma Rho 9
a . 3 Tau Gamma vs. Alpha Phi Omega 8
o 0
R 4.5 Alpha Sigma vs. Pi Sigma 6
NAMEOF z
ORGANIZATION U - 4.5 Alpha Phi Beta vs. Scintilla Juris 6
1 Sigma Rho 41 3 17 2 2 9 7 1 0 0 6.5 Alpha Phi Beta vs. Alpha Sigma 5

2 Upsilon Sigma Phi 31 3 9 6.5 Beta Epsilon vs. Tau Alpha 5

1 7 7 6 2 0 0
3 Alpha Phi Beta 8 Sigma Rho vs. Beta Sigma 4
29 7 9 1 3 3 4 0 0 1
4 9.5 Brotherhood of Filipinos vs. Latagaw Brothers 3
Scintilla Juris 28 6 3 1 4 4 8 2 0 0
9.5 Sigma Rho vs. Scintilla Juris 3
5 Tau Gamma Phi 23 3 7 1 4 4 3 0 0 0
11.5 Scintilla Juns vs. Pi Sigma 2
6 Alpha Phi Omega 15 3 5 1 2 2 0 3 0 0
11.5 Scintilla Juris vs. Vanguard 2
7 Alpha Sigma 14 3 5 7 0 0 1 0 0 0
11.5 Tau Gamma Vs. Sigma Kappa Pi 2
8 Pi Sigma 10350002000 2
11.5 Tau Gamma vs. Epsilon Chi
9 Beta Sigma 9 1 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 11.5 Upsilon vs. Alpha Phi Omega 2
10 Tau Alpha 8 0 6 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 16 Alpha Phi Beta vs. Tau Gamma 1
11.5 Beta Epsilon 6 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 Alpha Phi Omega vs. Beta Sigma 1
11.5 Epsilon Chi 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 16 Beta Epsilon vs. EMC2 1
0
13.5 Lalagaw Brothers 0 16 Beta Sigma vs. Scintilla Juris I
5 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0
Brotherhood of 16 Epsilon Chi vs. Tau Alpha 1
13.5 5 0 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 0
Filipinos 16 Scintilla Juris vs. Alpha Phi Omega 1
15 Sigma Kappa Pi 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 16 Sigma Rho vs. Tau Gamma 1
16 Vanguard 3 0 2 0 1 16 Tau Gamma vs. Scintilla Juris 1
1 0 0 0 0
17 Palaris Confraternity 2 16 Tau Gamma vs. Tau Alpha 1
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
19.5 EMC2 2 1 16 Upsilon vs. Vanguarad
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Brotherhood of Filipinos vs. Vanguard
19.5 Pan Xenia
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
16 Alpha Phi Omega vs. Alpha Sigma 1
19.5 Gamma Sigma Phi 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Alpha Sigma vs. Sigma Kappa Pi
Unidentified 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 16 Upsilon vs. Alpha Sigma
Totals 245 37 83 14 27 32 38 10 3 2 16 Gamma Sigma Phi vs. Scintilla Juris 1
19 24 31 Total 98
* 152 incidents based on 171 police investigations from January 1991 to December 1998.
*Categories are mutually exclusive *Table prepared by Marion Duinuan
*Primary Data Source: University of the Philippines Police Department, Quezon City Campus

46 47
 Table 6. Frequency of Violent Incidents between Table 7 Frequency of Fraternity Related Violence Inside the U.P. Diliman
Fraternities During the Academic Cycle Campus, by Area of Activity ()anuary 1991 to 31 December 1998)
REGISTRATION FIRST HALF SECOND PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY
AREAS
ACADEMIC YEAR AND PERIOD OF THE HALF OF THE FINAL
Area of Academic Vicinity 68.00% 102
SEMESTER/SUMMER TOTALS (REGULAR SEMESTER SEMESTER (8° EXAMS
SEMESTER) (l'8WEEKS) TOl7'WEEKS) WEEK Palma Hall Vicinity 30.00% 46
AND SUMMER AND SUMMER AND SUMMER
College of Engineering 10.00% 15
AY 1991-1992
Palma Hall Annex 5.00% 7
1St Semester 22 0 4 18 0 5.00% 7
Business Administration Building 'Vicinity
2nd Semester 14 5 2 7 0 College of Law 3.31% 5
Summer 1992 5 0 1 4 0 Faculty Center 3.31% 5
AY 1992-1993 Math Building 2.00% 3
1st Semester 14 0 10 4 Main Library 2.00% 3
0
2nd Semester 14 0 College of Home Economics 1.32% 2
7 7 0
Summer 1993 ISMED 1.32% 2
4 0 0 4 0
Llamas Hall 1.32% 2
AY 1993-1994
Nat'l. Eng. Center 1.32% 2
1st Semester 7 0 3 4 0 College of Education 0.66%
2nd Semester 10 0 6 4 0 College of Science 0.66%
Summer 1994 5 0 0 6 0 College of Social Work and Community 0.66% 1
AY 1994-1995 17 0 2 15 0 Development
AY 1995-1996 Areas of Commercial Activity 9.00% 14
1st Semester CASAA 2.65% 4
0 0 0 0 0
U.P. Cooperative Vicinity 2.00% 3
2nd Semester 7 0 0 7 0
U . P. Shopping Center 1.32% 2
Summer 1996 1 0 0 1 0
Vinzon's Hall 0.66% 1
AY 1996-1997
Bahay ng Alumni 0.66%
1st Semester 0 0 0 0 0 Beach House Canteen 0.66%
2nd Semester 6 0 0 6 0 0.66%
Health Service Parking Lot
Summer 1997 0 0 0 0 0 Padi's Point Restaurant 0.66% 1
AY 1997-1998 Residence Halls 19.00% 29
1st Semester 13 0 1 9 3 Yakal Vicinity 6.00% 9
2nd Semester 0 0 1 Ipil Vicinity 6.00% 9
0 0
Summer 1998 0 Molave Vicinity 3.31% 5
0 0 0 0
AY 1998-1999 Kalayaan Vicinity 2.65% 4
Narra Vicinity 1.32% 2
1st Semester 4 0 0 3 1
Others 4.00% 6
2nd Semester 3 0 2 1 0 U.PSunken Garden 1.32% 2
Summer
(Not Finished) SM City North Carpark* 0.66%
NSRI Parking Lot 0.66% 1
Total 146
Main Library 0.66% 1
x 2 = 26.76, ldf, probability at .001=10.827 0.66%
Roxas Avenue
Total 100.00% 151

* Occurred outside the U.P. Campus but Reported to the U.P. Diliman Police
48 49
 Table 8. Location of Fraternity Related Violence Inside AREAS
NO. OF VIOLENT INTERPERSONAL ACTS
the U.P. Ditiman Campus, by Peak Hours PEAK I PEAK II PEAK III
I1AM-2PM 3PM-6PM 7PM-12MN
AREAS
NO. OF VIOLENT INTERPERSONAL ACTS
PEAK I PEAK II Sa Gulod Beerhouse 1
PEAK HI 0 1
11AM-2PM 3PM-6PM 7FM-12MN (Cruz na Ligas)
Areas of Activity SUBTOTAL 52 25 8 Between Sunken
Palma Hall Vicinity 27 10 2 Garden and Business 1 0 0
College of Engineering 4 5 5 Administration
Registrar's Office 7 1 0 Corner Roxas Avenue 1 0 0
Malcolm Hall of Vicinity 3 2 0 and Roxas Street
Business Administration Fernandez St. corner 0 0
1 2 1 1
Building Quirino Ave.
National Engineering Magsaysay Ave. 1 0 0
Center 2 0 0
Quirino Ave. 1 0 0
Math Building 2 0 0 1 0 0
Roxas Ave.
ISMED 1 1 0 0 1 0
NSRI Parking Lot
College of Education 1 0 0 0 1 0
DMST Vicinity
College of Science 0 0 0 0 1 0
Kalaw St. corner Quirino
Quezon Hall (Admin) 0 1 0
Areas of Commercial 0 0 1
SUBTOTAL 6 3 4 PCED Hostel
Activity
Padi's Point 0 0
CASAA 4 2 0 22
Totals 73 42
U.P. Coop i 0 1
Shopping Center 0 1 1
X2 = 28.91,2 df, probability at .001=13.815

Beach House Canteen 1 0 0

Vinzon's Hall 0 0 1 these seven fraternities feature in the more aggressive incidents of
Bahayng Alumni 0 0 1 inter-fraternity violence, such as rumbles, ganging up fights, fist fights,
Residence Halls and the throwing of explosives and incendiaries.
SUBTOTAL 6 8 - 4
Molave Dormitoiy 1 2
Another pattern, which is characteristic of inter-fraternity rumbles,
5
Yakal Residence Hall 0 5 1 is that they typically occur between pairs of fraternities. These paired
Ipil Residence Hall 2 1 1 confrontations are clearly demonstrated in Table 5. It is worth noting
Kalayaan Dormitory i 0 2 that only a few fraternities are significantly involved in rumbles or
Narra Residence Hall 0 0 2 fights. Certainly, other fraternities appear on the list, but their presence
is an anomaly compared to the "violent few" fraternities that appear at
Others SUBTOTAL 9 - 7 6 the top of the ranks of violent incidences in the U.P. Diliman campus
U.P. Sunken Garden 0 1 2
Between Vinzon's year after year.
Hall and Business i 0 0 In addition to these tabular data, there is evidence that non-
Administration fraternity students do not engage in the sort of gang-like violence
Ma. Guerrero St.1 0 1 typical of fraternity conflicts. In a study of violence among fraternity

50 51


and non-fraternity students at UPD from 1997-1998, Principe and

Zarco (unpublished paper) found that of 38 recorded instances of an

fights/near-violent incidences, only two involved non-fraternity

Z;

-. ara I I I I
I
I I I

0 212122101012 I i
students. Furthermore, among non-fraternity students, the violent
Z0 '
I I I
episodes were spontaneous. Fraternity-related violence, on the other
hand, was characterized by reprisals against rival fraternities, and as 9 9 9 9.9
kn
If-; — I I
such, involved more rationalization and planning, and often escalated I I

in frequency of occurrence. —
Cn
— —

Inter-fraternity conflicts in the UPD campus are not randomly

I I
I iHII
an

distributed throughout the academic year. As the data in Table 6 H H H

indicate, most of the fracases occur in the second half of an academic a)

V
term, and almost never during final exams week or registration a) a)
Cd
a)
2 - -
periods. One possible explanation for this pattern is that many of 'a.
aID
a) -e
a)
a)
the students involved in violent attacks are failing or doing poorly in at
Z - -e 0
a)
their coursework, and are facing dismissal or disqualification from the .4..
01
U riD
a-
a- a)
w tZ
University. To be sanctioned by U.P. for fighting may mask the pending Ia)
- a)
a. a)a)
a): a) 0

0
academic dismissal of the student from the University. Z -
Cd
20a a)

a)
The areas in the UPD campus where most fraternity conflicts occur C
at Q a) 4-a
CdrID
a) 0.
a) a)
are detailed in Table 7. From these records, it is clear that academic 0%
0 0
-a) a)
- -e -a)
buildings and accessways are where most of the fights arise. From at
-s
a) 0
0
0 a)
z a) a)
C 4 a) -a)
1991-1998, 68% of the recorded rumbles took place in or near academic 0
.D a) -
_a)a)
an
a)
4.' 1-1 a)a) a)
areas of the campus. Thirty percent occurred in the vicinity of Palma U.
Ia)
a)a)
rID a-
aba)
Hall, which provides a large area for the congregation of students and '4- 0 0
In —
i:-4 aba)

which is near many of the "tambayans" where student groups meet and C >. an -.- —
Ot
.V; C Ia) __a) a)__
- 0
associate. C
z a) - a) -a)
a)
C .Ia) a)at -a) a)
a) a) a) 0\
rID a'
Not only are academic areas in campus the typical locations of inter- .-;; a)
E.a) Ea)
a)a) a)a)
Cd
C .a I) Z — o o-
fraternity violence, but these incidents usually occur during those hours O a—,L4

0
of the day when students and faculty are most likely to be present. As a.— -a0
U
a)
0 0.
shown in Table 8, there are three peak time frames of fighting in the I-0? C)
r 40 lIc\l a- IN Q
Co
campus - 11 am-2pm, 3pm-6pm, and 7pm- 12 midnight. Of these three
--C
(O.
time periods, the most prominent is the 11 am-2pm time slot. This has a)
-a)
bO a
a) a) a)
been especially true at Palma Hall, in which 27, or 69%, of the incidents 0. - 0
I) a) E 0
o a)
a
OIqj E 0
occurred during such time period. This pattern could be peculiar to U.P. -a) bO E - - Cd l/D a
aI •C
•a a) 0
Diliman because the University is a largely residential institution. a)
-a)
a)
..a)
a)
..a) a) a)
C-0
• a '
0
rID C40H Z

52 53
 Table 10. Fraternity Encounters (Rumbles and Truce Meetings)
PAIRS OF FRATERNITIES RUMBLE TRUCE
Truce, Triggers, Frat Fights
Alpha Sigma vs. During the past three decades, fraternity gang fights have been
Sigma Kappa Phi September 1997 3 October 1997
cyclical characterized by repetitive retaliations. These cyclical
2 Upsilon Sigma vs. Sigma Rho September recurrences have not yet been effectively broken. In fact, the data show
4 19
,_,_. , 7 10 October 1997
that recent deaths have decreasingly shorter intervals, an indication of
3 Alpha Sigma vs. Pi Sigma 23 September 1997 24 September 1997 a worsening situation. The last fatality, on February 10, 2000, is less
4 Tau Alpha vs. Beta Epsilon than one year from the penultimate previous death.
4 October 1997 7 October 1997
5
Sigma Rho vs. Alpha Phi Beta 13 October 1997 14 October 1997 Why are gang fights repetitive and cyclic?
6 Alpha Sigma vs.
Alpha Phi Beta 26 November 1997 27 November 1997
7
1. The truce procedure.
.PiSigma vs. Tau Gamma 2 February 1998 2 February 1998 The truce is a quick fix. To put the fight to a quick stop, a truce is
8 Sigma Rho vs.
Upsilon Sigma Phi 30 January 1998 30 January 1998 brokered by the University officials. Leaders of warring fraternities are
9Beta Sigma vs. Alpha Sigma made to go to the office of the Chancellor (of Diliman) or the Vice-
9 February 1998 11 February 1998
Chancellor for Student Affairs, whereupon, the parties agree to a truce.
10 Alpha Phi Beta 24 February 1998 25 February 1998
They sign a non-aggression pact, shake hands, are warned not to repeat
* Unsigned, undated document given to the senior authority by the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs, in her the same offense, and dismissed. But it should be emphasized that the
office, 1998, page 2.
truce does not wash away, nor diminish, the mutual hatred, animosity,
suspicion, and distrust of each warring party. The truce simply places
an overlay of accommodation over these negative emotions. The idea
In 1998, the senior author of this report developed a strategy for
is that soon, cooperation and friendship will evolve. It usually does
observing the times and locations of fraternity gatherings. The results
not. The accommodation is so fragile that a minor incident can trigger
of these observations are presented in Table 9. Altogether, eight
fresh conflict. The truce is short lived and temporary.
fraternities were observed, and their level of violence is indicated in
The shortest truce in the mid 1990's lasted seven (7) minutes long.
the table. Level of violence was determined by the number of violence
After the truce was forged, the former protagonists left Quezon Hall,
incidences recorded at UPD from 1995-1997. For example, the most
went downstairs, and as they reached the street, a gang fight broke
violent fraternity, Upsilon Sigma Phi, met on Fridays, from
4-5pm, loose. In 1997-1998, the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs, Dr.
with 30-40 participants at the meetings. The other fraternities met on
Barbara Wong Fernandez, recorded fraternity gang fights (rumble) and
different days throughout the week, sometimes twice a week, typically
from 11:30am-lpm or4-Spm. truce meetings. The list is presented below, in Table 10.
A quick review of the data in Table 10 shows the following:
Usually, there were 20 or more participants at the meetings, which
indicates that these are fraternity meetings rather than unplanned
a. Belligerent fraternities do not stop fighting with other fraternities.
gatherings of a handful of members or of friends. One inference that
During the six-month period, Alpha Sigma fought with: Sigma
may be drawn from the data is that meetings were being conducted
Kappa Phi, September 1997, with a truce on October 1997; Sigma,
around the times of the rumbles, which typically occur from 11-2 or
23 September 1997, with a truce on 24 September 1997; Alpha Phi
late in the afternoon, as demonstrated in Table 8.
Beta, 26 November 1997, with a truce on 26 November, 1997; and

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 Beta Sigma, 9 February 1998, with a truce on 11 February 1998. and humiliate "fair game" until a hostile fraternity man, or one of the
Yes, Alpha Sigma fought with four different fraternities within a coeds belonging to a sister sorority of a rival fraternity, is offended. A
period of six months, and each fight ended with a truce. fight is then triggered.
b. Same pairs of fighting fraternities engage in renewed violence.
As mentioned earlier, Palma Hall has the largest number of triggers
Upsilon Sigma Phi fought with Sigma Rho on September 1, 4, 5, at present. The colleges of Engineering and Law also have their share.
1997, ending in a truce on 10 October 1997. This same pair fought Less violent student organizations congregate at the periphery of the
on 30 January l998, with a truce on 11 February 1998.TauAlpha Main Library building. Most fraternity fights are triggered in and
fought with Beta Epsilon on 4 October 1997, with a truce on 7 around the large academic oval (see Table 7 and Table 9).
October 1997; the same pair were again fighting on 2 February Do the deans of colleges disperse violent fraternity groups, which
1998.
include non-students,from their respective buildings? No. The triggers
c. From September 1997 to February 1998, a six-month period, nine
remain. Deans, through office personnel, remove chairs, benches, and
paired fraternity fightsended in a truce, only to break into renewed tables from these trigger areas to discourage the fraternity men from
fighting.
hanging around, but dispersal is a remote option. They must have their
reasons. The repetitive cyclic fraternity gang fights could be associated
The truce sends the wrong message to belligerent student with truce and trigger factors.
organizations; that is, cessation of fighting wipes away culpability. The
truce is temporary and ineffective, particularly with fraternities that 3. The Nature of Gang Fights or "Rumbles".
have the most number of previous fights.
The fraternity fights that elicit the imagery of two nearly equal
groups engaged in violence are called a rumble. This was in the 1960s
2. The trigg ers .
and 1970s. These days, highly violent fraternities have used the ambush
A trigger is a figurative term for existing irritants in the social tactic - a surprise attack. Usually, an unsuspecting lone victim or a
arena (the campus) that set off fresh fighting. Food centers that serve small group is attacked by a larger armed group, riding in cars, and
alcohol where student groups go to drink are minor trigger settings. wearing hoods. This is called a gan g up, in U.P. Police parlance.
But the major flash points of fresh initial fighting are in the academic A freshly triggered fight develops and escalates into a series of
buildings where the most violent fraternities set up their meeting encounters. The first could be weaponless, with just invectives and
places (tambayans) during peak class hours - from late morning to
threats, followed by the use of makeshift weapons, steel pipes and
early afternoon.
baseball bats, hand-thrown explosives, and incendiaries. Eventually,
There is a crowd psychology phenomenon in these tambayans. A they start using knives and guns. The escalation of weaponry goes with
group of three to five fraternity men stand around before noon, and the protracted fight series.
students and faculty members pass freely without incident. As the day The "triggers" may be in the academic buildings, but the rights spill
wears on, more fraternity members arrive - some recent alumni, others into the streets in campus. In the evening, the attacks continue in the
non-U.P. fraternitymen from other schools. The mood of the group men's dorms, where the fraternity boys reside.
becomes jovial. As group size increases, members become boisterous These past years, fraternity fights have in vehicle vandalism.
and aggressive, some begin to taunt and throw hostile stares at Hooded men armed with pipes and bats smash up their opponent's cars
passersby who gain eye contact with members. They begin to provoke in the parking lot. In the past, vandalism took on different forms. They

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 smashed the glass cover of their opponent's bulletin board, sometimes explains the low casualty rate of only five student deaths and one U.P.
setting it on fire or ripping it from the wall to keep as war booty. police officer death? The same can be asked of hazing or initiations.
They destroyed each other's pet projects, such as a bus waiting shed, After 55 years of violent hazing practices in the U.P. Main campus, only
built from rival fraternity funds, or an enemy's garden beautification five or six students have died. The five or six deaths are the exception
project.
rather than the rule.
During a fight series, sometimes a long interval, say from one to As mentioned previously, death and serious injuries are kept
three weeks, would pass without an incident. However, unknown to at a minimum because of the use of weaponry that are not as lethal
the other, their enemy is preparing for a lethal ambush. Then the attack as expected. Why not submachine guns or extra capacity pistols, or
occurs. Some of the fraternity gang fight deaths have occurred after a shotguns, or military assault rifles - all of which are available if the
long lull. The last two fraternity fight deaths took after this pattern. protagonists desired to acquire or use them? Why just homemade pill
There are also inter-campus fraternity fights. A UP Diliman (Quezon boxes and not military hand grenades? Why Molotov bombs and not
City) fraternity motored all the way to the U.P. Manila Campus. Armed flame throwers to increase deaths and injuries? Five deaths in 41 years,
with steel pipes, they attacked their rival group in their tam bayan, injuring in around 1000 fraternity fights, is proof that extreme violence is not
nearly a dozen victims. The Manila fraternity men suffered severe head intended to exterminate rival groups (see Tables 2 and 3).
injuries and were taken to the U.P. Philippine General Hospital. (This When fraternities engage in a fight, members unite. Also, fights
incident is not in the U.P. police files, the investigation was conducted project the image of a macho tough group which has become a value
by the Manila Police Department.) Unverified sources say that the fights in U.P. This explains why violent fraternities locate their hangouts in
that led to the death of student Dennis Venturina in Diliman began in the places with voluminous pedestrian traffic. The tough reputation is for
U.P. Los Baflos campus, 60 kilometers south of Diliman. everyone to see.
Some fraternities in Diliman, in order to warn or alert their own
fraternity men of an ongoing fight, set up flags and banners at the main PART III. EXPLANATIONS
entrance of the U.P. campus, using secret signs understood only by its There are three questions frequently asked of us to clarify. These
members. are: (1) Why do students join fraternities despite the negative image
There have already been reports of entry of armed men into the they cast? (2) Why do fraternities severely initiate their applicants for
academic buildings. These men are often armed bodyguards of well- membership?, and (3) Why do they fight?
to-do students. Other armed men are brought into the campus to attack These questions will be addressed separately in the light of existing
students during gang fights, or for retaliation. When an armed group theory in the field of social psychology, and through empirical data
of outside gangsters enters the campus for a fraternity fight, innocent amassed for this study.
students are usually assaulted. The attack in the College of Law Library
illustrates this. The Niflo Calinao assassination is also an example. Why do students join fraternities despite
These two attacks are related. the negative image they cast?
Many of our students, perhaps most, undergo a process of de-
4. Puil2osive Low Intensity Conflict individuation after they are admitted into the University. The University
If the occurrence of fraternity fights began before 1960, there must is a large-scale organization (LSO) with a highly bureaucratic system
be a total of almost 1000 fraternity gang fights in 2000. But what of rules and procedures and an impersonal character. New students

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 Types of Affiliation Table U. Proportion of Single Memberships* in Student
Non affiliated students - Those who did not self Organizational Categories (OLba and Zarco 2000)
report membership into any student association. 15% RANK F
% OUT
ORGANIZATION CATEGORY, EXAMPLES OF N=438
2 Affiliated students - Those who self reported active ORDER

membership into one or more student associations. 84.11% Academic, e.g., Politica, Psych Society, 91 20.7
3. Sub-types of affiliated students Economics Society
a. Those with single membership Fraternities, e.g., Alpha Phi Beta, Sigma Rho, 54 12.3
77.45% 2 Alpha Sigma
b. Those with multiple membership
6.66% Socio civic orgs., e.g., Red Cross Youth,
4. Sub-types of students with multiple membership 3 33 7.5
f % Pahinungod
a. With 2 organizational affiliations is Regional or ethnic orgs., e.g., Bannuar,
3.2% 32 7.3
b. With 3 organizational affiliations 4 Kalilayan, Katilihgban
8 1.82%
c. With 4 organizational affiliations 5
Religious orgs., e.g., UP Student Catholic Action, 29 6.6
1.42%
d. With 6 organizational affiliations Youth for Christ
i 0.22%
Total Special interest orgs., e.g., Paranormal Society, 23 5.25
29 9.66% 6 Astronomical Society
Sororities, e.g., Phi Delta Alpha, Delta Lambda 21 4.8
8

Sports, e.g., Softball Club, Mountaineers, 21 4.8

are stripped of their full identity, reduced to a serial number which 8 Outdoors Club, Judo Club
becomes their name, and on which their grades are tagged every Nationalist (Marxist or Leftist), e.g., League of
8 21 4.8
semester. Students are not assured of any permanence. Only their grade Filipino Students, Gabriela Youth, Sanlakas
point average determines their status. If this is lower than required, Cultural orgs., e.g., UP Quill, Katha Lad, Theater 18 4.1
10 Council
they get the boot to make room for those who are more deserving.
343 77.45%
Total
The persistent demand is achievement and academic excellence. These
conditions are anxiety generating. Note: Students with multiple affiliations are excluded.

Stanley Schaeter (1959) maintains that as anxiety builds up, there

develops an increased desire to affiliate or tojoin other persons or groups, membership, and help students adjust to the demands of the LSO. Such
particularly those with similar states of mind and social situations. groups become collegial, with strong camaraderie and mutual concern
What are these anxiety-causing conditions in the university? (1) The for one another's welfare.
de-individuation of the new corner; (2) the impersonal, unfeeling, and Throughout the years, students have created and organized such
objective nature of the system, which is characteristic of all LSOs; (3) groups. Today, the UP Diliman campus has 234 recognized campus
the persistent demand for high achievement levels, which determines organizations - all voluntary student organizations with varying
one's status; (4) the unstable nature of one's membership; and (5) a categories.' Given this number and variety, students can choose
feeling of isolation and loneliness despite the presence of numerous which suits them best. Of the 234, only 17 are fraternities. Our study
persons nearby, each concerned with his/her own business. With all
these, the social need for students to establish groups is clear. They
5 This was sourced from an unsigned, undated document, on student
seek groups that would make whole the fragmented role of the student,
campus organizations given to the writer by the U.P. Diliman
that would recognize each person's uniqueness, offer permanent
Chancellor, February 20, 2000, in the Faculty Center Conference Hall.

60 61
 reveals that organizations with the most number of members are not In 1998, at the onset of this inquiry, we had intended to meet and
fraternities.
interview around 10 fraternity men who landed in jail for homicide and
The current 234 student organizations prove the validity of murder. We wanted to find out if group liking remains after two to three
Schaefer's affiliation theory. These organizations perform a mediating years of detention in a Quezon City jail, under execrable conditions.
function between the LSO and the individual, which means that these The study was not carried out because of recurrent jail riots and the
groups help the individual adjust to the LSO by providing the basic sudden release on bail of nine of the detainees.
social needs of the individual and by making the individual feel a sense Some fraternities maintain group cohesion by conducting highly
of belonging to a warm human group. visible groups tasks, which earn instant admiration, praise, and
A separate study conducted by the senior author and his student favorable publicity from the country. These include drama and musical
provides data on the nature of student affiliations. A survey on student presentations that often overshadow existing professional talent;
membership in voluntary associations in U.P. Diliman from February- medical missions for indigents; the re-painting and re-furnishing of
March 1999 was conducted with a probability sample size of N=438 classrooms; and the construction of bus stop sheds and walkways.
out of a student population of 22,000 undergraduates; the sample error Some fraternities, together with their sister sororities, hold lavish and
is at 95%, and the level of confidence is 4% (Olba and Zarco 2000).
expensive balls and parties, which earn mild censure from conservatives.
The results of this study are presented in the following list and table. Some engage other groups in violent confrontations.
The above empirical data on affiliation reflect the variety of student
organizations that provide newcomers with a wide range of choices Why do fraternities fight?
to meet specific social needs. Despite parental warnings, students Campus dominance is a major latent goal of a number of
confronted by a specific situation decide on their own whether or not to fraternities. Being able to control and occupy all high status student
join groups based on their personal circumstances. positions means having power, influence, and elite status. The rules of
competition initially involved conventional non-violent means, until
Why do some fraternities severely some fraternities resorted to "kidnappings," holding hostage rivals to
initiate applicants for membership? prevent them from filing candidacies and winning contests. Admittedly,
Initiation is a screening process fraternities employ to select new the "kidnappings" were humane, gentle, and even a lot of fun for the
members. The physical torture and the life threatening tasks that victims, but it was improper, although no inquiry has been conducted
members are asked to perform are part of the process to ascertain how and no one got punished. Before the 1960s, several episodes of slightly
much an applicant is willing to sacrifice to be a member. Initiation is violent incidents took place. These went unchecked, until violence
the rite de passage.
escalated into shootings and gang murders, as they are today. How can
The effect of severe initiation upon the surviving members, inter-fraternity fights happen in the nation's premier university, where
experimentally demonstrated by Festinger (1957) and later by violence is repudiated by allbut the combatants? Fraternity men insist
Aronson and Mills (1959) and Forsyth (1999), is greater liking for that given that politics outside the ivory tower is violent, the University
the group. The holistic impact on the fraternity is stronger group should not be an exception.
loyalty and cohesion. Intuitively, the writers believe that group liking Settling personal or group disputes through violence is no stranger
is transient - it could erode unless sustained or reinforced by other to a large number of indigenous groups in the Philippines, from those
activities or conditions.
in the highlands of northern Luzon to the Muslims in Mindanao. A

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 recently researched topic in Mindanao is the Maratabat issue among mentioned, deaths and maiming can happen after the occurrence of
the Maranaws, Muslim inhabitants around Lake Lanao. a series of unresolved conflicts; and (6) non-fraternity violence in
A maratabatis a favorable reputation bestowed by the neighborhood the campus is extremely rare and almost always spontaneous, unlike
or communityon a person or family who has demonstrated a successful fraternity-related violence.
violent attack against a person(s) who has sullied the said family's These results show that inter-fraternity violence in the UPD campus
reputation (Disoma and Zarco 1982). Conversely, anyone who does CAN BE CONTROLLED, but not without the consistent and concerted
not visibly retaliate against a wrongdoing loses his honor and has effortsof faculty members, students, and the administration.
nomaratabat;he is considered a despicable spineless coward. Such That these violent episodes occur in response to specific targeted
persons are publicly humiliated by kin and neighbors, ostracized, and groups in reprisal for a real or imagined slight, insult, or injury, and that
prodded to fight back or forced to leave the community. To redeem these episodes display cyclical patterns of increase and decrease, show
one's lost honor or status, a visible violent attack that will kill one's that fraternity members are not acting blindly and with uncontrollable
tormentors must be undertaken (Saber et.al 1960). rage.
The problem with this practice is the unceasing series of ambushes Furthermore, the timing and locations of the incidents, together
and killings - reprisals - if people become maratabat concerned. This is with the typical use of non-lethal weapons, suggest that fraternity
the situation that describes the series of fights among some fraternities members do not view their rivals as "moral enemies," but rather, as
on campus today. While the academic community repudiates violence rivals who need to be put down or put in their places. The attacks seem
as a means for settling disputes - and some fraternities manifestly to be planned for a specific time and place designed to allow maximum
support this viewpoint - their actuations show the opposite. There is no humiliation for the "defeated," or more importantly, perhaps to ensure
doubt that fraternity gang fights lead to social solidarity, a requirement adequate assistance for the wounded and/or to have police intervention
for dominance. It is probable that the practice of maratabat in Muslim before things do escalate to truly lethal proportions. Certainly, there is
Maranaw, in its extreme violent form, continues to be practiced by some degree of spontaneity in these assaults, but the timing and location
adherents who are scattered across many regions in the country, of their occurrence point largely to a degree of planning, rather than to
including in fraternities in the University of the Philippines today. happenchance or opportunity.
While these patterns of violent assaults clearly suggest specific
CONCLUSIONS strategies that can be employed to prevent, or at least reduce, inter-
Several characteristics of inter-fraternity violence at UPD can be fraternity conflicts in the UPD campus, there should be consideration
gleaned from this report: (1) only a small number of fraternities are given to long-term prevention measures. The theoretical foundation
usually involved in r the fights; (2) the fracases demonstrate some upon which such preventive efforts could be based is the concept of
degree of planning and reprisal for previous incidents involving "rival" need affiliation, as developed by Stanley Schacter and subsequently
fraternities; (3) the incidents usually occur in broad daylight and at elaborated on in the field of social psychology. This concept argues,
points of heavy traffic in the campus; (4) incidences of fighting show and we concur, that smaller organizations such as fraternities serve to
cyclical patterns -there is an increase up to the point of death, a period of reduce stress and anxiety in large-scale organizations such as a major
significant decline in the next few years, and another gradual increase; university, as exemplified by UPD. Furthermore, research suggests that
(5) the degree of injury resulting from these fracases is often light or harsh initiations produce intense loyalty to such organizations.
moderate, requiring minor medical attention, although as previously

64 65
 There is thus a combination of anxiety at the University level, police investigation cases are elevated to this trial court. However, it
and anxiety-reducing smaller organizations such as fraternitiesthat would be interesting to discover the penalties imposed on students
haveharsh initiations, persistent rivalries, and fights among several of accused in this internal trial court of the University of the Philippines
these groups, fights that become more persistent and violent with passing in Diliman, Quezon City.
decades. While the cycle of violence appears to be intensifying and In an inquiry, the other side of fraternity violence is the severehazing
escalating, it is our opinion that this cycle can be disrupted, stagnated, practice, which applicants for fraternity membership undergo. There
or even reversed, with thoughtful preventive efforts and long term are more fraternity, hazing incidents than fights, but our quantitative
planning that specifically address the potential, all too often realized, data reflect only gang fights. Why?
of small groups such as fraternities, to produce intense loyalties among Fraternity hazing is conducted with great secrecy almost all the
its members to the point of willingly participating in dangerous and time, outside the U.P. campus. The only information we have is the
sometimes lethal conflicts with other fraternities. reported hazing deaths, which have reached six (6) cases from 1945 to
the present. There are a couple of non-fatal incidents reported by those
SOME METHODOLOGICAL AND applicants who have decided to quit during the initiations and seek
THEORETICAL NOTES medical help from the U.P Health Service.
The procedure for tapping former students of the university as The smoke screen on fraternity hazing is as thick as the blatancy of
respondents is not without problems involving validity and reliability. fraternity gang fights. These fights are for everyone to see, for both the
With ages ranging from 77 to 82, recall is noted to be slow and uncertain police and the community. This shows fraternity violence to have two
as specific episodes took place 55-60 years ago. The interviews are faces, the covert and the overt.
repetitive since several cannot stay on the topic and digressed into The 1968-1972 years were periods of student activism,in which
other recollections. Three to four respondents died in the process. students began to actively form leftist organizations to go against the
Three male respondents revised their original recollections. Recalling "establishment" outside the campus, such as the dictatorship, police,
student misbehavior in the 1938 to 1941 period need more than oral military - the reactionary forces. The death of Roland Perez occurred
history. Documents were examined as an extra method to cross validate in 1968-1969, at the onset of student activism. It was the last for that
oral and anecdotal events. Also, archived material and newspaper period. The next deaths from hazing and gang fights came later. The
microfilm were consulted to revisit the past. As the respondents became 1968-1972 years also coincided with the worst drug problem in the
younger, recall was noted to be more spontaneous and enthusiasm was Philippines, which affected the youth in large cities, particularly MetrO
remarkable. Exact dates were often off by one to two years. Manila. The heroin problem began in the early 1960s and worsened
Police investigation reports of the U.P. Security Police Department to involve teenagers in and out of school. In 1972, the average age
in U.P. Diliman are the most comprehensive sources 'of data on of users was 18. This heroin problem became an epidemic by 1970
reported student violence on campus. However, there are other cases but was abruptly curtailed in 1972. The heroin problem and student
of violence which are not in the record depository, especially when the activism, both externally perceived issues, have severely dampened
investigation is conducted by the Philippine National Police or when student organizational conflicts and violence on campus:
the event took place outside of the geographic area of responsibility
of the U.P. police. Some researchers who believe that the Student
Disciplinary Tribunal is a rich source of data may realize that not all

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and Substance Abuse in the U.P. Diliman Campus, February - March
Book 1999"A study in progress. University of the Philippines - Diliman.
Festinger, Leon. 1 999.Group Dynamics, Third Edition. New York: Wadsworth. Alcaraz, Ramon A.1954. "The Albert Case, The Fraternities and Sororities, and
Schacter, Stanley. 1959.The Psychology ofAffiliation. Stanford California: Their Control and Supervision by the Authorities of the University of the
Stanford University Press. Philippines." Government Report.University of the Philippines, Diliman.
Francisco, Vicente K. 1965. Was Ferdinand Marcos Responsible for the Death of
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Alacaraz, Ramon A. 1997. "The Uses and Dangers of Hazing." Philippine
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Lazaro, Guillermo R. 1985. "Gonzalez as an Adamant Visionary." P. 268 in The Author Unknown. 1956. "Father Delaney Dies; Burial Saturday." The Manila
U P., First 75 Years, edited by Oscar M. Alfonso. Quezon City: U.P. Times, January 13.
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Alcaraz, Ramon A. 1985. "Chapter VI-Annex A, Enrollment from 1939 to Interviews
1951." P. 653in Tirona, Alma G. 2000. Interview by the principal author, U. P. Diliman, Quezon
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Miralao, Lee. 2000. Interview by the principal author, Ateneo de Manila
Journal Articles University, Quezon City, February.
Aronson, Elliott and Judson Mills. 1959. "The Effect of Severity of Initiation on
Liking for a Group." Journal ofAbnormal and Social Psychology 59:
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Saber, Mamitua, Mauyag M. Tamano, and Charles K. Warriner. 1960. "The
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Zarco, Ricardo M. and Donald J. Shoemaker.] 995. "Student Organizations as
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Unpublished Materials
Disoma, Esmail R., and Ricardo M. Zarco.1982."The Concept of Maratabat in
Maranao Society: A Sociological Re-Interpretation."Masters Thesis,
Department of Sociology, University of the Philippines, Diliman.

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