Letran acts on High School Frat Case

Letran recently issued a decision on the involvement of twenty nine (29) high school students in fraternities.  An agreement was signed by the students and parents that the former will be subjected to suspension until February 18, 2002.   A schedule of make-up classes was designed by the High School department for the suspended students. 

Of the 29 students, Emerson Chester Kim Go, represented by his parents and lawyers, filed a P3-M damage suit against the Colegio and some key persons led by Fr. Lao, Fr. Rhommel Hernandez, Prefect of Discipline; Albert Rosarda, Asst. Prefect of Discipline; Ma. Teresa Suratos, High School Principal; Victoria Ramos, class adviser;  and Vilma Lizada, Rector’s Secretary for allegedly dismissing him from the rolls. 

In his appeal, Go claimed that he was never a fraternity member and he was dismissed by the school without due process. 

In mid-October, Mr. George Isleta, the head of the Auxiliary Department (which handles among others Security Services) received a note informing him of a mass recruitment of TAU GAMMA and SRB in the High School Department plus a list of names of students in the high school allegedly involved. Mr. Isleta recommended that these boys undergo physical examination in the school clinic. The boys voluntarily submitted themselves to the physical examination and some of them were found to have discolorations in the thigh area indicative of physical trauma probably experienced some three weeks before.

The list was turned-over to the High School Department and investigations were conducted by Mr. Albert Rosarda, assistant prefect and Fr. Rhommel Hernandez, O.P., prefect of discipline. The students were asked to submit written statements regarding their alleged fraternity membership so that their side may be heard in the spirit of fairness and due process. From their written statements more names came up. More investigations took place and the parents of each of the involved students were called for individual conferences. During the conferences the parents were informed of the extent of involvement of their sons and of the possible sanctions that the school would make.

After much deliberation and consideration of the evidence on hand, the decision of the Prefect of Discipline, which is recommendatory in nature, was to dismiss the students who were proven to be involved but with the advice that individually they can appeal the case to the Father Rector.

The Father Rector then convened his Rector’s Council which is composed of the Vice-Rector, the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, the Vice-Rector for Financial Affairs and the Vice-Rector for Religious Affairs and came up with a decision to reduce the students’ dismissal (as stipulated in the students’ handbook) to suspension until the end of the third grading period.  They will be allowed to attend make-up classes to cope with the lessons missed due to suspension.

Last February 5, Caloocan City trial court Judge Antonio Fineza Jr. issued an order to grant Go’s appeal for preliminary mandatory injunction, immediately  reinstating him to his classes since barely two months are left for school year 2001-2002.

In his message to the community on the February convocation, Fr. Lao said, “Fraternities with their violent hazing practices are contrary to the Letran ideals.  Acts of violence do not make a man much more a gentleman out of him.”  He emphasized that the school has prevented untoward accidents from happening because of its policy of giving recognition to fraternities so that their activities are monitored and supervised.  Fr. Rector ended his speech with “….that is why violent hazing in fraternities and Letran ideals, like oil and water, do not mix..”

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Intramuros Consortium Formed
Mr. Rey Reyes

Last November 20, 2001, the heads of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Lyceum of the Philippines, Mapua Institute of Technology and the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, along with their various department heads, sat down over lunch and signed an agreement of academic cooperation among the four schools. On that day, the Intramuros Consortium formally came into existence. The luncheon meeting was held at Barbara’s Restaurant just across San Agustin Church.

The idea of forming a consortium of the different schools in Intramuros was sounded off during an earlier meeting last September 14 at Casino Español hosted by Lyceum.Present during the initial meeting were Atty. Roberto P. Laurel and Prof. Leonida T. Africa of Lyceum, Dr. Benjamin G. Tayabas of PLM, Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea of Mapua and Mr. Rey Reyes representing Fr. Edwin A. Lao, O.P. for Letran. The meeting was held to simply identify areas where cooperation would be mutually beneficial to all schools involved. Among the issues already identified at that stage were the possibility of a common advocacy towards the limits imposed by the Intramuros Administration on the construction of buildings. Areas of cooperation in common concerns such as security, cross-enrollment and the sharing of library resources were also explored. Another meeting was held a month later at the office of Dr. Tayabas of PLM where the contents of the draft agreement was discussed.

Finally, the Agreement of Academic Cooperation was signed on November 20. In particular, the members of the Consortium agreed to pursue the following forms of cooperation:

1. Cooperation and sharing of information on concerns such as institutional, academic and administrative development including matters relating to faculty loading, procurement, taxes, advocacy and the like.

2. Possible sharing of materials and methods for degree program development and evaluation.

3. Cooperative development of instructional and library facilities, research and publications.

4. Coordination in measures involving security, outreach and environmental concerns, student development and welfare.

5. Coordination on such other concerns that may arise from time to time.

Since the agreement was signed, the various committees made up of department heads from the member schools have already been meeting. The library group is working on terms that will enable students from the member schools to make use of library resources. The group made up of the different vice presidents for academic affairs is spelling out working agreements on the sharing of information about faculty loading while taking precautions against the possible invasion of privacy of the faculty member concerned. The group made up of the heads of the different research offices is identifying the level of research capabilities of the various member schools. The group made up of the different registrars is working on areas of cooperation in the implementation of the newly enacted National Service Training Law, and measures that will allow students to easily cross enroll from one school to another. In addition, there is also a group made up of people in charge of the various schools’ extension services.

The various groups will be presenting their reports to the central committee made up of school heads during its next meeting this month to be held here at the Colegio. 

News Briefs

Letran received a certificate of Appreciation from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for its participation in the activities of the National Atrs Month 2002. The awarding was held during the cocktails on February 12, 2002 at the NCCA Auditorium.

* * * * * * * *  * * * * *

Letran is sending Fr. Orlando Aceron, O.P, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Mr. Rey Reyes, Executive Assistant and Registrar, Ms. Eloisa Labrador, Head R & D, Mr. Ronald Dugang, Acting Head Extension Services, Mrs. Ofelia Legaspi, Acting Head, External Affairs, Dean Myrna Torreliza of CLAS and Dean Nancy Eleria of CBAA and the Graduate School to the 4th DOMNET National Congress to be held at UST on February 22 and 23, 2002. The gathering is dubbed "DOMNET after September 11: Impact on Education."

In a unanimous show of solidarity the Letran Alumni Association Inc. during its regular monthly meeting held last February 12, 2002, drafted a resolution supporting the school’s stand on fraternities.

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In Memory of BARON CERVANTES

Last January 26,2002 a requiem mass was held in memory of Alumnus Baron Alexander Cervantes in the Colegio’s Chapel. Rev. Fr. Edwin A. Lao, O.P., Rector and President celebrated the mass. The late Baron belonged to High School Class ’82 and College Batch ’86. In attendance were Pastor Boy Saycon of COPA, Mr. Dante Jimenez of VACC, Mary "Rosebud" Ong, Atty. Leonard de Vera of Equal Justice, Col. Julian Malonso, Mr. Charlie Yu, Mr. William Uy, Mr. Armin Sarthou, LAA President, Mr. Mario Alberto Aligada, LAA Secretary, Lt. Col. Rodolfo Canu, faculty members, ROTC Cadets and the Cervantes family headed by Mr. And Mrs. Rac Cervantes. Former Vice-President Salvador Lurel sent a tribute which was read during the sharing. Others who paid tribute to Baron were Mr. Saycon, Atty. De Vera, Ms. Ong and Mr. Jimenez. A reception hosted by Mr. William Uy and Mr. Charlie Yu was held at the Student Center.

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Email me here: rector@letran.edu

DECS Order No. 20 s. 1991 bans fraternities and sororities, especially in the elementary and high school levels. Yet despite all these, we have the celebrated cases of Lenny Villa of Ateneo, Vicente Cirio of PMI, Mark Roland Martin of UP and Seth Lopez of De la Salle. What do they have in common? They are all victims of violent fraternity hazing. It is as if the schools become a venue of promoting a culture of violence.

This is today’s dilemma for all schools. Fraternities and sororities are the "in" thing. Hazing, as their rite of initiation, sometimes becomes violent resulting in death.

Colegio de San Juan de Letran, in its four centuries of existence is now faced with the same problem of fraternities. The more you suppress them, the more they go underground. Recognition of their status as a student organization seems the only way so that their activities can be scrutinized and supervised.

This recognition has proven to be a boon for Letran. Unusual happenings are monitored so that the students’ safety is assured.

Letran has prevented many untoward accidents from happening because of this policy. Suspected hazings are investigated, apparent neophytes are given medical check-ups to find out if violence was committed on their person, parents are notified in writing, individual conferences are held and the students are given a chance to explain their side, also in writing.

Most times in the secondary level, the Prefect of Discipline and his assistant would give
the sanction of dismissal only rather than expulsion which is more harsh as it bans students from admission in other schools thus destroying their future.

The right to appeal is inherent in the whole process of disciplinary action in Letran. The court of last resort in the Colegio, the Father Rector and President is foremost a priest and only secondary a school administrator. His pastoral orientation gives him the shepherding instinct so that a boy’s future has more weight for him than the burden of sanctions for infraction of regulations. Thus, justice and equity is practiced and compassion becomes a hallmark of the Dominican brand of discipline.

Letran is a Dominican school where Dominican spirituality prevails. Its symbol is the knight who reaches his goal because of discipline and a strict training in the refinements of gallantry and brotherhood.

Fraternities with their violent hazing practices are contrary to the Letran ideals of DEUS, PATRIA, LETRAN—God, Country and Letran. Acts of violence do not make a man, much more create a gentleman out of him. The bond that gives rise to real brotherhood is not achieved through how much physical pain the neophyte can endure but through a culture of love and respect and self-sacrifice so that others may live and grow.

This is the Letran "animo"—the spirit that gave our country four presidents: Aguinaldo, Quezon,

Osmeña and Laurel and 80% of the heroes of the Philippine Revolution: Apolinario Mabini, Gregorio del Pilar, Artemio Ricarte and many others. Today the Letran "animo" lives on in EDSA II in the likes of Chavit Singson, Leonard de Vera and Pastor Saycon. It animates leaders in business and industry like Francisco Eizmendi, Jr. and Vicente Ayllon, and big names in the arts like the late Rolando Tinio. Letran even has a saint among its graduates, St. Vicente Liem de la Paz.

Letran is proud of them. They typify the kind of Letranite that is formed to be leaders of tomorrow. They are products of Dominican spirituality and discipline.

That is why violent hazing in fraternities and Letran ideals, like oil and water, do not mix.

Arriba Letran!

(This article was published in Manila Bulletin on February 7, 2002 and in Philippine Daily Inquirer on February 10, 2002.)

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Sleepless in Letran
By Jing Mable

Sleep comes late and restless these days to the rectory of Letran. And no less than Fr. Edwin Lao, Rector & President of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, one of the oldest and the most distinguished of all prestigious Catholic schools in the country, is being victimized by this nocturnal malaise.

Who wouldn’t be with a sword of Damocles hanging precariously over his head and those of his staff, all charged by one high school senior student, suspended for alleged violation of a DECS order declaring membership of elementary and high school students as subject to dismissal from the rolls, with grave abuse of authority.

Going by Fr. Edwin’s record of controversial encounters since he took over the reigns of the school, it would seem as if the old dragon at Letran is finally losing his iron grip on things. Why else would Fr. Lao, a veteran of school intramurals, succumb to such nocturnal turmoil over another lawsuit? Fr. Edwin, many Letranites would fondly recall, has gone through, undaunted although admittedly greatly mellowed down, a gamut of student protests, hate mail from parents and employees, vituperation, and faculty mutiny from the time he sat on the treasurer’s chair in 1989 until recently when he finally succeeded in restoring the shine on the Letranite’s armor.

Letran in the Seventies

Letran, it can be recalled, was submerged in a financial morass in the late sixties when the administration of the school was turned over by the Spanish Dominicans to their Filipino counterparts. Without the vast assets that used to shore up the traditional mandate of the school, that is to send to school as many poor and deserving students as it can muster, the Filipino Dominicans were then hard put to keep alive the spirit of charity.

To make matters worse, Letran Manila had to subsidize the newly opened campus in Laguna. That the Laguna campus eventually became self-sufficient proves the wisdom of the early Filipino Dominican administrators in subsidizing it against all odds. Today, Letran Laguna Campus enjoys the unquestionable distinction of having pioneered Catholic education in Southern Tagalog, thus providing the Southern Tagalogs with quality education and its burgeoning industrial sector a constant supply of competent professionals. That Letran - Laguna Campus has contributed greatly to the phenomenal and sustainable growth of the CALABARZON industrial corridor cannot be contested.

Unfortunately, problems that hounded the newly emancipated Filipino Dominicans were by no means only financial in nature. The late sixties and seventies were characterized by a rebellious and restive studentry and a highly charged political and social atmosphere. While the phenomenon was global, the Filipino youth of the seventies was further challenged and threatened by the imposition of martial law, resulting in the general decline in respect for the establishment. Things started to deteriorate at a faster rate, and schools like Letran were not exempt, when the national economy started its slide into a depression.

Enter the Dragon

It was in the aftermath of such social, political, and economic upheaval, reflected in a microcosm in Letran, that Fr. Edwin took over. A Chinoy, Fr. Edwin was thought of by colleagues as the man of the moment. The expectations were great that Fr. Edwin, having been brought up in the Chinese way of conducting family business, would have the acumen to hurdle Letran over the financial straits.

That the choice is providential has been proven by the slow but steady transformation of Letran-Manila from a hobbled old man entering the Age of Aquarius to a revitalized Knight clad in an armor shining like new.

Today, Letran Manila has grown into a complex of buildings that houses an all-time high of 5,000 students from elementary up to graduate school level. While it continues to hold on to the old values of truth, patriotism, and spirituality, its curriculum offers a wider range of courses that can well equip today’s Filipino youth to excel in a career of his choice. From the traditional business courses that put many alumni in a good stead, today’s Letranite can now compete in the newer fields of mass communications and information technology.

Split Image

But glorious as his laurels may seem now over the decade, Fr. Edwin, to his chargin, is not to be allowed to rest on them. Confronting him now in court is a split image of himself. A Chinoy, who, like him, is a scion of Chinese businessmen; yet, who, to a disturbing degree, is quite unlike him. The tenacity, ruthlessness, and racial pride typical of the Chinese are there. But argues Fr. Edwin, "not withstanding the reputation for cleverness in business the Chinese in this country may have, I was brought up to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, especially in front of my parents." That Fr. Edwin’s

nemesis in the high school department, more sure of his place in society being well funded and now influential, could deny before his parents what he has admitted to be true to teachers and what his classmates know to be true, is something that has been keeping Fr. Edwin from his sleep.

How Chinoy values have changed with changed circumstances is foremost in Fr. Edwin’s mind. Over the past few decades, more and more Chinoy’s, particularly those from the more affluent families, are getting out their ghettos and getting themselves enrolled in many of the prestigious Catholic School in the country favored by the Malay and Hispanic families.

No Victim Yet

Can one child, cloaked in the riches and power of his parents, totally upset the carefully upheld values for which Letranites are known to have fought for even in the face of death? Can Fr. Edwin, having put back, slowly and painfully, Letranite education at par with any school in the country, allow one child to make a mockery of his lifetime accomplishments? Will the word of one child as against the admission and testimony of absence of legally acceptable evidences of complicity? Can a lie send to death a 381- year old knight that is the Colegio de San Juan de Letran?

When the fight is the word of a child against those of school administrators, the chance of victory for schools crusading against the pernicious influence of fraternities and cliques before the bar of man’s court seem to be very dim indeed. And this is Fr. Edwin’s lament. But his fear is more real. With most of the tormentors of Lenny Villa, the murdered victim of the Aquila Legis fraternity of another prestigous Catholic school, off the hook as recently pronounced in court, the chance of fraternities evading society’s sanctions get brighter. To what great heights of tragedy for unknowing parents, and the country as a whole this immoral turn of events will lead to should be keeping not only Fr. Edwin from sleep but also all educators and school administrators. Fr. Edwin’s dilemma is every educator’s concern.

After all, the only difference between Letran’s having a lawsuit and the other school’s relative innocence in the many past cases of tragic initiations is the abscence of a dead body. Without a dead body, Letran cannot prove that there really is a danger of underground fraternities in its campus. But should’nt Letran parents instead be thankful that there is no dead body for now? In the loneliness of the dark night, this is Fr. Edwin’s question, " Do we have to wait for a victim to really crack down on unrecognized fraternities in the high school campus?"

Strength from the Alumni

At this time of deep soul searching, Fr. Edwin is looking into the immediate and remote past of Letran for comfort and strength. In times of deep moral crises, Letranities, in the remote and recent past, have stood up against all odds upheld the truth. During the Philippine Revolution of 1986, a majority of the revolutionary leaders cited in the textbooks on Philippine History were Letranities. While, in the light of present scholarly scrutiny, many of these so-called revolutionary leaders have been shown up as mere oppurtunities and even landgrabbers, most of the handful of those during the Katipunan era who have passed even today’s standard of heroism were Apolinario Mabini, Emilio Aguinaldo and Emilio Jacinto.

In the very recent past, a handful of Letranites have again surfaced to help rescue a nation outraged by blatant corruption and disregard for the law and institutions by those who occupied the highest positions in government. Foremost among these modern knights in shining armor, now acclaimed as EDSA heroes, are Chavit Singson, Jose Luis Yulo, and Leonard de Vera and Pastor Saycon, front runners of the formidable organizations that figured in the miraculous ouster of a popularly elected, but commonly perceived as corrupt president. A handful of Letranites have made EDSA 2 possible.

Perhaps, Fr. Edwin wonders, a handful of Letranites will again surface, this time, to help the school triumph over an evil so pernicious it may taint the character of the next generation of Letranites - the acceptance of willful violence as part and, even a desirable, parcel of life. How else can hazing among persons who intend to be brothers or sisters be anything but willful violence?

Hopefully, with this thought, Fr. Edwin can catch up on lost sleep.

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Our Objective
Richard Roxas

The thrust of the present administration is slowly materializing in the consciousness of the Letran community. We have seen consistent improvements in terms of facilities and integrating systems in the overall operation of the Colegio. The constant evolution of development was focused largely on these 4 major objectives of the Colegio’s 4 year development plan:

1. Raising the Academic Standards of its faculty;
2. Professionalizing further the administrative and support staff;
3. Continuing the physical improvements that have a direct bearing on instruction and learning and
4. Accreditation of the different programs of the study.

With these medium term vision, the present administration believes that even the decline on enrollment will be arrested once academic excellence is achieved. But in order to do this we must scan our internal and external environments. Turn threats to opportunities and weaknesses to strengths without sacrificing objectivity and social responsibility.

Materiality

In order to address and apply synergism in key result areas, specific strategies were made;

a. increasing campaign on the awareness of the Colegio’s guiding principles;
b. identification and strengthening of flagship courses in the collegiate level;
c. identification of core competencies in the primary and secondary level;
d. development of new courses in line with the needs of the industry (i.e. Human Resources Mgt. And Education);
e. gradual standardization of seminars and research methodology;
f. improvement in the admission process;
g. standardization of General Education in the collegiate level;
h. adoption of English as language of instruction;
i. professionalize the employees using Job Evaluation and Performance Management and Appraisal Systems;
j. establishment of committees in relation to Labor and Management relationship;
k. reduce personnel cost;
l. increase number of full-time faculty members;
m. increase number of faculty who have masteral and doctoral degree (its raining masters and doctors!)
n. enhance classroom management;
o. enhance research skills of faculties;
p. encouragement on scholarly publications;
q. intensification of IT and multimedia;
r. increase number of industry practitioners;
s. increase usage of the library;
t. more focused extension services;
u. closer ties with the alumni;
v. availability of the dormitory and the;
w. development of the Vicente Liem de la Paz Foundation.

With the presence of these approaches, the Colegio has been reinvigorated despite the slowdown in our external environment. 

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