The Irate Spectator

After years of hiding in the States former Agriculture Undersecretary Joc-Joc Bolante is finally back in Philippine soil promptly arrested by personnel from the Senate who want to make him spill about the Billion-peso fertilizer scam where funds intended for agricultural development were allegedly funneled to GMA's 2004 campaign.

Poor Joc-Joc must have been worried sick with what's waiting for him here. He was literally out of breath and couldn't even stand up on his own when he got off the plane prompting his arresting team to intern him at St. Lukes Medical Center instead of heading to the Senate. Plus his hair grew white after only a few years. Well, that's stress for you. Let's just hope Bolante doesn't get off the hook just because of health problems like a convicted plunderer I know.

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After authorities in Barangay Mabolo cracked down on a gang of young people calling themselves the Independent Human Society (IHS), formed by the Alpha Kappa Rho Fraternity according to barangay officials, for possession of marijuana and alleged group sex, Councilor Jack Jakosalem submitted a proposed ordinance regulating fraternities requiring, among others, parental consent for minors seeking membership and stiff fines for noncompliance.

The Hon. Jakosalem's legislation is certainly enlightened and his intentions are surely motivated by genuine concern for young people and the rest of the community, but what he does risks oversimplification of the problem. The government just can't regulate frats like you can't regulate, say, the Rotarians. The entire membership has to faithfully submit themselves to government scrutiny as the city fathers simply doesn't have the resources to watch every new member's initiation. And another thing, these groups are inherently exclusive with their secret handshakes and such to keep non-members in the dark about them. You wouldn't expect them to willingly throw everything open to outsiders. Should this ordinance be passed we're gonna see a lot of difficulty in enforcing it.

Also, a lot of people think that if we simply do away with frats we won't have juvenile delinquency problems like gang violence or teenage substance abuse. Again an oversimplification. Sure, a lot of drug addicts get into it because of hanging with the wrong crowd, not always frats by the way, but it's a complicated mix of peer pressure, desire for escape, family background and other social factors that drive young people to drugs. I know a lot of people who are frat guys but sure as hell aren't addicts, well at least not addicted to drugs.

On gang violence, Cebu certainly isn't a stranger to Akrho vs. Tau Gamma and Bloods vs. Crips maulings, beatings, and many times killings. But frats are actually different from gangs. Akrho,Tau, Alpha Phi Omega and other Greek letter groups and their offshoots are frats while the Bloods, Crips and many others, especially those with "Gangsta" in their names are gangs. In origins, the frats came from the drinking buddies and dorm mates in American University Campuses. In the Philippines they evolved into big boys' clubs with the older members who attained big shot status either in campus or in politics or business helping the younger members and neophytes like the PMA's mistahs. The Bloods and Crips grew out of African-American street gangs in Los Angeles with the same names transplanted to the Philippines via hip-hop subculture. Originally devoted to community-based social change the gangstas degenerated to crime ranging from drug dealing, extortion and robbery. Here in Cebu cross-membership used to be common, for example Akrhos who are also members of Bloods, but I'm not so sure about that now. We have to keep in mind that many frats have not been even accused of violence, like the Law School frats which are more like study groups for example. Without taking these into account I should say we're not getting to the root of the problem.

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PGMA is set to grace the opening ceremonies of the controversial Banilad-Talamban flyover today. Finally, they finished that piece of construction and hopefully that would ease all the traffic and make life a lot easier for our brother Carolinians in Talamban. Let's just hope the rains we're having won't cause another postponement. Spaeking of GMA, I also wonder how she's taking the Bolante fracas. Maybe she'll say something at the flyover opening. No doubt the media people will be swarming over there today just to make sure.