UP President Alfredo Pascual
MANILA, Philippines–Student groups of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City, have called on university officials, particularly UP President Alfredo Pascual and UP College of Law Dean Danilo Concepcion, to put a stop to fraternity-related violence.
The two are members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi (USP) which was implicated in a recent hazing incident that left a 17-year-old UP student severely injured. The incident happened days before Guillo Cesar Servando, an 18-year-old De la Salle-College of St. Benilde student, died allegedly due to injuries he sustained in fraternity hazing rites.
In a statement, the UP Law Student Government challenged Pascual and Concepcion to lead the investigation being conducted by the university administration into the hazing incident.
“As prominent members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity and more importantly, leaders of the university, it is incumbent upon them to secure the transparency and fairness of any probe undertaken,” it said.
It also urged fraternities and sororities to sign a pact that they would refrain from conducting hazing and getting involved in other fraternity-related violence to prevent similar cases in the future.
“Taking part in this agreement will demonstrate their commitment in the eradication of such an ignoble practice,” the group said.
At the same time, the University Student Council (USC) also called on Pascual and Concepcion to hold their fraternity accountable should it be proven guilty.
“We are appalled that for decades, such practice has been allowed to go on with impunity within the walls of the university,” the USC said.
On Tuesday, Pascual said in a statement that he was “closely monitoring the investigation” being spearheaded by UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan into the hazing incident.
According to him, “the UP System will ensure that due process is observed in the conduct of the investigation.”
“Incidents of violence, done even for the noblest of reasons, have no place in UP,” Pascual said.
The USC, after placing its officials who are members of USP under preventive suspension, asked them to appear at the next general assembly to speak out against hazing.
“We strongly urge them to cooperate in the USC investigation… and to be one with the USC in publicly condemning this act of hazing,” the student body said in a statement.