Statement of The Jester-in-Exile On the Death of Cris Mendez
I hope that this statement gets to the right audience. If there are those who want to adopt it as their own, especially among UP students, they (YOU!) have my permission. Edit at will as applicable.
The violence must stop.
The jester-in-exile extends his condolences to the family and friends of Cris Anthony Mendez. The death of Cris is a great loss to the UP community and to society -- we have lost a student leader and a scholar of the people. This, however, pales in comparison to the loss that his family has suffered; his mother has lost a son, his siblings have lost a brother, and I cannot imagine what sort of pain Cris death has brought to them.
It is said that the University of the Philippines is, sadly, no stranger to fraternity violence. This, I believe, is anathema to the pursuit of academic excellence and thus must be opposed through whatever lawful means available by we who are students of the College of Law and members of a law-abiding society.
I call upon the UP Administration, the UP Police, the Department of Justice, and the Philippine National Police to pursue the investigation of Cris' alleged death by hazing with utmost dispatch, so that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought before the bar of justice and made to face the full force of the law in the soonest possible time.
I likewise urge both the House of Representatives and the Senate to review the Anti-Hazing Law and provide for more stringent penalties for erring fraternity officials and members. Fraternities, sororities, honor societies, and academic organizations profess to hold themselves to higher standards of excellence and virtue; as such, I believe that the members of such groups must be held to a higher standard of accountability once they have broken the law and transgressed on another's rights.
I condemn in the strongest possible terms all fraternities, sororities, and other organizations of the University of the Philippines who, by either themselves perpetrating such brutal acts of violence, by condoning such acts committed by their members or by other organizations, or by obstructing justice by aiding in the flight or concealment of their members who have committed such acts and are being pursued by the law, promote the culture of violence and barbarism. To the long list of names that include Alex Icasiano, Dennis Venturina, and so many others traumatized or dead is the name of Cris Mendez; we cannot in good conscience turn a blind eye to the injuries and deaths that involve or are directly perpetrated by fraternities, sororities, and other organizations of the University.
I join the UP student body in the condemnation of the brutal desecration of life and all acts of torture in the name of brotherhood. I join the call to reject the culture of violence and those organizations who promote it, and I join the call to urge our fellow students to divert their energies to constructive and concerted efforts to forge a peaceful and progressive environment, both in the U.P. campus and in society at large. I call on our fellow students to reject all organizations who perpetrate senseless violence and yet have the gall to call other people who are not among their members "barbarians".
I demand that those involved in the alleged hazing of Cris Mendez take responsibility for his needless death. I demand that the members of the organization allegedly involved to cease from obstructing justice and turn over forthwith to the authorities their members who are responsible for Cris' death. This I demand, as a student of an institution whose reputation you have sullied by your barbaric actions. This I demand, as a future practitioner before the bar of justice. This I demand, as a member of society at large. You who profess to live by higher standards of excellence, loyalty, and virtue have the duty to prove your claim; otherwise, live henceforth with shame and dishonor.
I urge the UP studentry to take a stronger stance in opposing the culture of violence. I urge you not to condone the viciousness of this crime by keeping silent and thus aiding and abetting the flight of those guilty of Cris' death. I urge you to assist the authorities, by providing the authorities with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of this dastardly act, if you know who they are and where they can be found. I urge you to support the family of the victim, by not letting friendship or affinity get in the way of justice for Cris. I urge you to actively oppose the culture of violence, by refusing to join organizations that promote this or by renouncing one's membership in an organization that does so.
I ask the public at large to await the results of the investigation with vigilance, but I ask you to do so with righteous indignation instead of calm and sobriety. We must not allow the death of Cris to be forgotten, for to allow ourselves to forget is allow this death to happen again -- to someone else's friend, to someone else's brother, to someone else's son. Although we want that the justice we claim for Cris be a justice that will also be bestowed unerringly on his killers, we also want that justice be granted to society at large, by ensuring that these deaths will not happen again by refusing to relegate these senseless acts of violence to forgetfulness.
I, the jester-in-exile, wish to do my part in making sure that Cris did not die in vain. I hope that I can persuade the UP studentry and society at large to do the same.
1 September 2007
The Jester-in-Exile
Yes, it's a derivative of the UP Law student body statement. Like I implied last post, I'm disappointed at how weak the statement was.
Again, if there's anyone who wants to adopt a version of my statement above as their own, especially among UP students, you have my permission. Go ahead and make it your own.
Bakit kayo tahimik, mga iskolar ng bayan?
Papayagan ba nating patuloy na lamang ang karahasang nasasapit ng ating mga kapwa mag-aaral dahil sa mga fraternity?
Kung hindi tayo kikilos, sino pa?
Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa?
Ang pagtatagumpay ng kasamaan ay dahil lamang sa pananahimik ng mabuting tao. Papayag ba kayo nito?
Oo ang sagot ninyo? TANG-INA NINYO.
Rest easy, Cris. We who will not forget will do what we can for you -- and we'll do what we can to prevent the same evil from befalling those of our own.
Update: Found these via blogsearch.google.com:3 news that every UP Diliman Student should know.
Spread the word... spread the indignation. The violence must stop.
(USC Statement) Re: Cris Mendez's Death
(USC Statement) Re: Cris Mendez's Death
Patricia Evangelista says it all
Hustisya para kay Cris.
Senseless...
Foolish Pretensions:Or, on doing your homework)
Si Along noon, si CA naman ngayon..(sino kaya ang susunod?)
JUSTICE FOR CRIS MENDEZ
A TOAST TO BROTHERHOOD
Cauton For Fraternity Members and Aspirants
Hiatus
In the Name of the Brother
In the Name of the Brother
In loving memory of Cris
End Fraternity Violence
Bludgeoned
Justice For Cris? Depends which justice is available.
tears
Niño Calinao, Cris Anthony Mendez, Dennis Venturina at ang mga ...
Niño Calinao, Cris Anthony Mendez, Dennis Venturina at ang mga ...
Condolences.
QCPD kinumpirma na hazing ang ikinamatay ng UP student - ABS CBN News
Blood Brothers
for chris mendez
something worth rallying about
Three deaths
Prof. Enuh Iglesias' tagged content box on fraternity violence
on cris mendezand alex icasiano
Justice for Cris Anthony Mendez
Statement of The Jester-in-Exile On the Death of Cris Mendez
CA and Society
Put A Stop To The Barbaric Practice of Hazing
on the death of cris mendez, hazing and fraternities
another isko wasted
Welcome, Once Again.
On Cris Mendez
Dying young… in the hands of your “brothers”
Please enlighten me about the Cris Mendez issue...
USC statement on the death of Cris Mendez
Philippine News Links - on Sison, PepsiCo, Letran-San Beda ...
why NCPAG?
STATEMENT OF THE UP LAW STUDENT BODY ON THE DEATH OF CRIS MENDEZ
Justice for Cris Anthony Mendez
press statement...
last day of august na??!?!
The Stupidity of Fraternity
for Cris Mendez
NOT ANOTHER STATISTIC
Why I Wore Black Today
Put a Stop to Fraternity-Related Violence NOW!
Of Teardrops and Justice (In Memory of Cris Anthony Mendez, 1987-2007)
Of Teardrops and Justice (In Memory of Cris Anthony Mendez, 1987-2007)
my condolences..
AND YOU DARE CALL US “BARBARIANS”!!!
COMEDIANS & A MURDER
Cris Mendez---what a waste of life, Frat--for what?
GMANews.TV - Teachers, friends, kin of hazing victim Cris Mendez...
justice for cris mendez
FRAT FART
Hazing, a culture issue
NCPAG Statement on Cris Anthony Mendez’s Death
Condolences Pour in to CrisAnthony Mendez’s Friendster account
Justice for Cris!
Justice for Cris Mendez
That's Just Wrong
Condolences Pour in to CrisAnthony Mendez’s Friendster account
oh shaks.
Another One Bites the Dust
In Memory of Cris Anthony Mendez
http://malourdes.livejournal.com/35217.html
Indignation Rally for CA Mendez
Tragedies
In Memoriam
UP LSG-led Initiatives for Cris Mendez+ gist of UP Law Statement
A Time to Grieve
justice for a dear friend...
Another UP student dies of frat-related violence
you told me to send this to you so that you can change your ...
In memoriam Cris Anthony Mendez(1987-2007)
hazy over hazing
para kay crisanthony mendez
In Memoriam
Cris Mendez' Friendster account
Posts
5 had something to say about it:
it is maddening that progress is slow. I hope we can implore to the conscience of those witnesses or the persons involved to step forward. Your statement is indeed more powerful. I've added it now in my blog entry.
Let's keep this issue alive. It is encouraging to note that as days pass, there are more and more blogs about Cris and his death.
At this point, I do hope that those involved in this incident would finally find their balls and CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY. Let justice be served. Let Cris Mendez be the last victim of frat-related violence.
if the issue dies, more young men will too, psyche.
I can't believe that there are more people enraged at Malu Fernandez' article than in this case of Criz Mendez' dying in the hands of his so-called "brothers" and that the whole fraternity is keeping silent about it. Some people even dared explained his death as an expected risk and even blamed him for his own death because he took that risk.
If the blogging community can mobilize such great numbers to oust Malu Fernandez from a magazine, why can't it do it now? It makes me wonder.
My condolences to the family of Cris. I posted this tribute in my blog for him and for those who suffered the same brutality.... please add me to your roll.
http://woobie.pinoygaming.net/a-sad-tribute-to-the-lost-leaders-of-the-philippines/
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