Akrho, Tau Gamma ink peace covenant at Provincial Police

The long-drawn war between Alpha Kappa Rho and Tau Gamma Phi might have reached its endpoint yesterday afternoon when leaders of the two groups signed a peace covenant right at the office of the Cebu Provincial Police director.

Provincial Police director, Sr/Supt. Vicente Loot, told reporters that covered the event that both groups initiated voluntarily the peace act saying they wanted to end the war between them.

The leaders of the two warring fraternities were not into a gimmick because both were sincere in forging a peaceful relationship between them while doing their best to solve every attendant problem, said Loot.

Both parties have signed the covenant, which called for cooperation and unity of the two groups, and the leaders said they have been tired hearing reports that their respective members were engaged in trouble or criminal activities.

Copies of the signed covenant were not available but Loot said the signatories intended to disseminate the contents of the documents to their chapter presidents so that all members would know the items that their leaders have agreed on.

Among the items in the covenant is that any member of either fraternity that might be involved in any trouble would be suspended. Then if the president of a particular chapter fails to act or impose discipline on an errant member, he or she and the entire chapter would also be suspended.

Richard Buscayno, Akrho regional president for Central Visayas, yesterday said it was good that a covenant was signed to reach a lasting peace between the two groups. If both parties get into any trouble then they will be suspended after the conduct of an investigation, he said.

Buscayno said the covenant would be a continuing agreement with both groups cooperating on ways to control the activities of members in the lower level.

The Akrho would hold a general meeting on October 7 where members would be informed of the contents of the covenant, said Buscayno.

Tau Gamma provincial governor Nanal Jimenez, for his part, said his group would also have a meeting soon for a similar purpose. Each of the groups would appoint a spokesperson to answer questions on fraternity-related issues, he said.

The covenant signing was realized after national officials, both "kumpares", of the fraternities met with Loot the other day to convey their agreement to discuss ways to solve the conflict. Loot said earlier that the police had declared the two fraternities as criminal gangs after several bloody and even fatal attacks were done against each other. - Norvie S. Misa/RAE