Colleges urged to step up monitoring of frats

MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has reminded its regional offices to keep a close eye on college fraternities to avert any more deaths by hazing.

CHEd Executive Director Julito Vitriolo said the commission had a standing order to its regional offices nationwide to monitor the activities of fraternities and sororities in colleges and universities in their jurisdictions to ensure compliance with school regulations and the law against hazing.

“That’s what we’re doing, monitoring fraternities. We have a standing order for regional offices to monitor the fraternities and sororities,” Vitriolo said in an interview.

“Schools should have a list of their accredited organizations and our regional offices check which ones are fraternities where there are members and officials that are not recognized,” he said.

Despite the anti-hazing law, Republic Act No. 8049, San Beda law student Marvin Reglos died after undergoing initiation into the Lambda Beta Rho fraternity in Antipolo City last month. Police are investigating the death while the school has initiated its own probe.

Vitriolo said the CHEd would help the investigation if asked.  Individual schools are primarily responsible for imposing discipline on their students and implementing the regulations against school violence.

“The CHEd condemns this senseless death of a college student. School and police authorities are in the process [of investigating the case].  But if the school needs CHEd’s help, we’re open so we could get to the bottom of this,” Vitriolo said.

Under CHEd regulations, students involved in hazing could face expulsion while the fraternity or sorority could be suspended for a period or banned completely. Under RA 8049, the maximum penalty is 40 years’ imprisonment.