WINLAW statement on the death of Cris Mendez

The University of the Philippines Women in Law extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Cris Anthony Mendez, a promising NCPAG student who passed away last August 27, 2007, allegedly due to fraternity hazing. This unfortunate incident reverberates the students’ decades-old call for fraternities and sororities to put an end to the vicious cycle of violence in initiation proceedings still embedded in the culture of some of UP’s Greek-letter organizations. This senseless attempt at propagating a skewed sense of tradition with the aim of uniting its members as “brothers,” negates the lofty ideals and noble purposes these organizations claim to stand for. The practice of hazing is pointless, hazardous, and most of all, inhuman. Such infliction of physical pain and torture as a requisite for membership meant a death sentence for Cris Mendez. Now we are left in a state of grief, regret, and devastation.


We join the UP Community in condemning this heinous crime. Cris Mendez’ death and the death of several others in the past because of fraternity-related violence should indelibly mark our collective consciousness of the evils brought about by this barbaric culture abetted by tolerance, fear and indifference. It is high time we stop pretending hazing does not occur and pretend we don’t see our classmate attend class bruised and swelled up from the beating he took from his brothers the night before. It is not taboo, it is reality. And nothing’s more real than the untimely death of a young man, which hopefully brought us back to our senses and made us realize that this is not the norm. This is WRONG. We also condemn the indifference of the fraternity involved. Their silence is an admission of their guilt, and it is difficult to extend reasonable doubt to those who do nothing to protect their innocence.


We, the women of UP Winlaw, therefore call on the UP administration, all UP students, and most especially the members of the fraternity involved in this incident, to exert all efforts to bring justice to the family of Cris Mendez. We would like to believe that these men, more than being “brods”, are human beings with conscience. Be accountable for something bigger than your word to your brother. Be accountable for the life you reprehensively took.


It is in our seeing to it that the perpetrators of this crime are held liable, and in our vigilance in preventing future Iskolars ng Bayan from suffering Cris’ fate, that the Mendez family will feel our deepest and earnest commiseration. Anything less than these, is nothing but a hollow expression of sympathy.





Andrea Celene Manalaysay
President



Milagros Evans Malaya Susana Grace Ojeda
Vice President for Internal Affairs Vice President for External Affairs




May Caniba Charlene Valdez
Vice President for Academics Vice President for Publicity



Janice Lee Carmela dela Paz
Vice President for Finance Barops Head


Eleanor Agnes Abellar Rowena Fatima Salonga
4th year Representative 3rd year Representative




Alessandra Maria Anna Gloria Reyes
2nd year Representative

first year law student.kid at heart.idealist.optimist (except about myself).hopeless romantic.daydream believer.dreamer.klutz(hehe).


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