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From walkouts to dismantled banners, UP community protests frat-related violence

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From walkouts to dismantled banners, UP community protests frat-related violence
The College of Social Sciences and Philosophy also takes down the centennial exhibit of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity that's supposed to run until December 7

MANILA, Philippines – Students and members of the faculty at the University of the Philippines (UP) have staged a series of protest activities since renewed concerns about fraternity-related violence gripped the campus recent weeks. 

On Tuesday, November 27, students and faculty from the University of the Philippines walked out of their classes to condemn the hate and violence expressed in a series of leaked screenshots of an alleged group chats attributed to members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity.

Led by faculty members of the Department of English and Comparative Literature, College of Arts and Letters, people gathered at the old Faculty Center grounds for 100 minutes, from 1- 2:40 pm.


The group shared 100 statements against fraternity-related violence. They gathered to condemn the “misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and violent statements” from that alleged group chat that had been dubbed #LonsiLeaks. 

The use of the number 100 was a dig at Upsilon’s centennial, which the fraternity is celebrating this year.

The latest controversy Upsilon is mired in started with an altercation with Alpha Phi Beta members on November 14. The following day, the warring fraternities got into a car chase, which was initially reported as a shooting incident. Some of those involved sustained minor injuries and were brought to the university infirmary.

Two members of the UP Diliman University Student Council (USC) and one from the student council in UP Manila who were also members of the fraternities resigned from their posts amid the controversies. 

Centennial woes

What began as a month of celebration for one of UP’s oldest fraternities has since been overshadowed by the recent incidents.

Aside from the walkout, the student community also initiated the taking down of Upsilon banners displayed around the Academic Oval. The fraternity’s tambayan (hangout) and parking barriers were also removed from the AS parking area.


On Thursday, November 22, there was an attempt to revise Upsilon’s Wikipedia page with an entry saying “Upsilon Sigma Phi has been involved with multiple cases of FRV (frat-related violence) within and outside their university.”

The said edits had been taken down as of November 27.

On Saturday, November 24, the fraternity’s anniversary exhibit at the AS lobby was dismantled following the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy’s call for its immediate removal. The exhibit was supposed to run until December 7.

Frat-related violence

Meanwhile, free stickers against impunity with the text: “Classic woke ass non-Upsilonian UP student against impunity #EndFRV” are being distributed in a printing store in UP Los Baños.


UP Diliman vice chancellor for student affairs Jerwin Agpaoa says no action has been taken yet, as separate investigations are still ongoing.

In a statement, UP president Danilo Concepcion already promised to “root out [the] problem” of fraternity violence, after recent campus incidents involving two fraternities raised renewed concerns within the UP community. (READ: More groups slam ‘violent, misogynist’ frat-linked chat) 

What is your stand on frat-related violence? Share your thoughts on X! – with a report from Lisa David/Rappler.com

 

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