August 3, 2011- Atrocious Acts to Detest: Institutionalized Crimes – PNP Hazing

As I was eating dinner, I saw in GMA News TV and TV Patrol video footages of how PNP chiefs “trained” their military trainees in Camp Elridge.

In this day and age, it’s frankly surreal that we still have tortures happening right on our own backyards.  A few weeks ago, I expressed my distaste and rightful abhorrence of crush videos.  You can read my article here and read more from Inquirer’s opinion pages here.

I hope you can read or find video footages over youtube. I tried finding any, but just couldn’t see, so perhaps, maybe news TV links probably have it.  From the articles I’ve found online, TV5 reports:

The video, made public by the Commission on Human Rights, shows members of the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) rubbing chili peppers on the privates of recruits or forcing them to swallow a handful of the fiery fruit.

Some recruits are seen in the video gagging and throwing up while being forced to swallow the peppers with a cup of water laced with black peppers.

In another video, recruits are seen blindfolded and naked while policemen rub their privates with chili peppers using a long stick.

People can be heard laughing and jeering as they watch the recruits’ ordeal.

What makes me feel more confounded, if not just sick, are the comments I’ve seen from people with regard to this news:

“normal lang yan sa isang trainee ng sundalo, naranasan ko rin yan kc sundalo ako, ang purpose nyan is to make a trainee be strong and to discipline, kung ayaw nyo ng ganyan ang aplayan nyo ay manicurista… at sa chr nman kung wla kau magawa jan sa ofis nyo magsundalo na rin kau!!1lagi nyo lang sinisilip ang afp, pag my namamatay na mga sundalo sa mindanao ano comment nyo.. mga buwisit kau taga comission on human rights!!!!!!”

Thankfully, a lot of people commented who have made sense.  I shall paste here the ones I liked best:

1.) There are more ways to build respect than physical torture… Those who believe is such thing is definitely a primitive one… Two wrongs does not make a right… Anyone who will accept this should again rethink their state of mind…

2.) Palitan ang hazing ng clean up of creeks and other bodies of water. Instead na pasakitan sa paddling or torture, gamitin ang lakas sa paglinis ng kapaligiran at pagtanim sa mga kalbong kabundukan. Ang brotherhood dapat isinasakatuparan sa kapatirang kahulugan at hindi sa pananakit ng bagong kasapi para subukan ang kanilang katapangan o adhikain. Ang pagtulong ay di lang para sa samahan kundi maging kapaki-kapakinabang din sa sambayanan.

3.) Pano po tayo magkaroon na mga matitinong pulis at military kung sa training pa lang nila ay sablay na. Disciplinary action is always a part of any institution, pwede naman siguro gawin nila yung pagdidisplina sa makataong pamamaraan at hindi yung utak-pulbura approach.

4.) Make a professional military not a bunch of thugs that uses hazing for training

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All in all, I love the fact that someone commented – utak-pulbura, and “thug” academy is what the military camps are being trained to do.  I cannot help but remember the Philip Zimbardo Stanford experiment, everytime I see such atrociousness being done IN MY OWN country!  Not only do I support Commissioner on Human Rights Etta Rosales on the immediate punishment of this institutionalized torture and criminal acts against human dignity, I wish that more crimes to humanity get resurfaced online and be faced with proper action.

If Egypt’s Mubarak was dethroned through the power of Facebook, and a revolution in Middle East happened through Twitter, I will use my own power in social media to make every criminal injustice like this be seen by the whole public.

Most of my readers would have probably watched “A Few Good Men” that stars Tom Cruise, Demi Moore and Jack Nicholson- I’d like to quote them as I end this post.

Jessep (Jack Nicholson): You want answers?
Kaffee (Tom Cruise): I think I’m entitled to them.
Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Jessep: You can’t handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives…You don’t want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall.
We use words like honor, code, loyalty…we use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use ’em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I’d rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you’re entitled to!
Kaffee: Did you order the code red?
Jessep: (quietly) I did the job you sent me to do.
Kaffee: Did you order the code red?
Jessep: You’re goddamn right I did!!

In the military, people talk about honor, code and loyalty to a certain authority.  Well, this is what I believe, there’s authority and there’s a responsibility.  There’s no higher authority than our responsibility for the well being of the human race.  Man is man.  This must be one reason why I do believe in a higher Being.  I do believe, that we are all weaved with one thread and one spirit- that is our humanity and our similarities with each other.  Every single atrocious act done to my brother or sister, is an atrocious act done to me as well.

Let’s not taint the human race far more, than it already has.

Power is different entirely from force.  The power to lead a training camp, should not be met with harsh force, but with inspired discipline to defend our race from acts as atrociously displayed by their “leaders”.  Power is a silent energy that commands respect that is earned through brotherhood.

The sad thing is when you make a simple search in google for all images of hazing and evil, you’ll see atrocious acts to be detested all over the world.  I got interested with one particular image, because I couldn’t believe that albums such as the band Dio’s Dream Evil would sell and be on top of UK and US billboard charts.  I tried reading the lyrics and listening to the sounds of this heavy metal band.  I guess I never quite understood what is it about heavy metal, that people love.  Doesn’t it eerily remind you of evil spirits?

A side note question: Why do we love watching horror movies / murder and crime scenes?  Do we want the solutions or are we watching the gruesome gore inherent in these violent sounds and videos?

Disturbing image

This post is to all my brothers and sisters,

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing – Edmund Burke

-The Faceless Trader