Credits

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Mafia Culture

I promised Nick of Tingog.com that I would write about Cris Mendez. While I had actually drafted a post right after his death, I chose to bide my time and reflect on what other people (not just bloggers) and prominent members of Sigma Rho had to say. To make the long story short, it seems that the Sigma Rho is nothing but another mafia gang.

The fraternity after all is not about brotherhood but about connections and influence. This in turn is used to land good jobs, get favors and much worse, become a tool for corruption and abuse. So in reality, members are recruited with the promise of a better future and an assurance that come what may, the brotherhood will always be by their side. It would have been good if leads to the advancement of an individual in a morally upright way.

But it has become another old boys club as the first sign of trouble no matter how immoral or even criminal, the frat rallies around the embattled member assuring him of a united protection. In essence, its a protection racket as well. I am not lumping fraternities in one big heap of shit just because a few has strayed from the ideals of genuine brotherhood.

But in the case of Sigma Rho which chose to protect its guilty members in the case of Cris Mendez, it is pure criminality. Former senator Jovito Salonga should be lauded for standing for what is morally and lawfully right. Unlike other prominent members of Sigma Rho, he chose to sever ties with this criminal gang.

This brazen display of power speaks volumes about Sigma Rho and its crooked view of brotherhood. Lawyers, judges and even politicians comprise this mafia-like organization. No wonder they can totally disregard our laws because their "brods" will surely come to their rescue and save them from the arms of justice.

I weep for the wasted life of Cris, so young and with a bright future. Now he is but another statistic in this barbaric crime whose perpetrators are being cuddled by their influential criminal brothers. To these criminals, justice may not be served in this life but who knows in the next? Pray too that your sons will not face animals like you when their turn comes. Justice can come from the most unlikely places and a crime cannot be hidden for eternity.

So no matter how Sigma Rho tries to justify/glorify its organization, its nothing but a gang that revolves around the culture of the Mafia.

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