Trigger warning: graphic description of events, mention of hazing
Days after a now-suspended Twitter account publicized graphic pictures of an apparent hazing ritual allegedly conducted by the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity, LGBTQIA+ student organization UP Babaylan condemned cases of fraternity-related violence (FRV) in the university and called for an end to the culture of impunity and to hold “Lonsi” members accountable.
The Twitter account @UPSILONLEAKS exposed photos of alleged fraternity neophytes wearing tattered clothing while covered in blood. In one of the pictures, the victims is seen in front of fraternity mementos while an alleged fratman holds a paddle with the Upsilon Sigma Phi logo.
The bloodied neophytes were covered in packaging tape and were marked with a piece of paper with their names, programs, average grade, and “physical defects” on them. Alleged Lonsi members were also captured in the pictures.
“It has been almost 4 years since the #LonsiLeaks scandal and not a single frat man has been held accountable for the culture of impunity they cultivate. So many deaths have been caused by hazing despite the existence of an Anti-Hazing Law, and yet, fraternities continue to get away with it,” said UP Babaylan in their statement.
In the “#LonsiLeaks” scandal, leaked screenshots of conversations from members of Upsilon Sigma Phi exposed misogynistic, bigoted, and islamaphobic remarks by fraternity brods as the fraternity celebrated its centennial anniversary.
UP Babaylan called for the abolition of frats, saying that the frat system cannot be reformed and that discourse on FRV cases cannot be reduced to ‘just a few bad apples,’ nor the reasoning of ‘not all frats’ or ‘not all fratmen.’
UP Babaylan maintained that “toxic masculinity, systemic violence, and institutionalized sexism have always been the foundations of these brotherhoods.”
They also demanded an immediate response from the UP System administration, which is headed by the Upsilon member President Danilo Concepcion, and the UPD University Student Council, saying that their passive responses to FRV have allowed some fraternities to get off with slaps on their wrists.
“Fraternities can circumvent the investigation through their allies in the USC, [Inter-Fraternity and Sorority Council], and university administration, in the same way they have in the previous years. There is a need to recognize that, so long as fraternities are institutionally entrenched, backed, and tolerated by people in powerful positions, UP will never be safe.”
Even before the Upsilon Sigma Phi scandal, critics have lambasted fratmen in the administration and in student councils for allegedly obstructing investigations and turning a blind eye to FRV cases. In 2018, Upsilon and another fraternity Alpha Phi Beta were involved in physical violence inside the campus after their members beat up each other, injuring others.
In response, the University Student Council has sent a letter to the Office of Student Ethics urging them to investigate the incident. They will hold a dialogue this week to discuss the matter.
Today, UP Diliman Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo condemned the alleged fraternity initiation and said that the university does not condone FRV. He said that offices will investigate the matter and will punish students proven to violate the UPD Student Code and the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018.
As of press time, the UP System administration has not released any statement on the incident. Upsilon Sigma Phi is also silent on the matter.
Featured image courtesy of UP Babaylan
