Hazing: A Long Tradition on Its Own

Rico M. Pablo

The death of another hazing victim made a long sleeping issue will awake again but not enough to wake the Filipino people.

Hazing is an initiation process which involves physical/emotional harm to a person to prove that they are worthy of joining their organization or team. AntiHazing Law is already implemented, however, leaders of organization use their authority to avoid getting into jail.

“Hindi ko talaga maalis yan. Ikaw, kung pumasok ka, ‘pag nahuli ka, sorry ka. Hindi mo talaga matanggal ‘yan,” Duterte once said during on one press conference. He claimed that he himself was a victim of hazing and was hospitalized for 3 days due to “massive hematoma”. He and some fellow brods supposedly tried to ask to stop the abuse or harm of hazing, no avail. “Unless you ban fraternity of all time, make it a criminal offense by joining a fraternity but that would raise several constitutional issues. I really can’t stop it,” President Duterte said.

But in June 2018, Duterte had signed the Anti – Hazing Act of 2018 or Republic Act No. 11053, which bans all forms of hazing. Prior to the passage of this law, hazing was prohibited only when there’s no prior written notice to school authorities or the organization head.

Hazing should be stopped because it has shattered many dreams and it may destroy more lives in the near future. The pain of hazing will always haunt Filipinos till we wake and stand against it.

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The author is T-III at San Nicolas Elementary School, Arayat East District,

Arayat, Pampanga