City to give shirts to Akrho fratmen

CEBU, Philippines – About 500 members of the controversial Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity will be provided with T-shirts by the Cebu City government for their 36th anniversary on August 8.

Acting Mayor Michael Rama already approved that the city will spend P75,000 for the printing of the T-shirts as requested by Richard Buscaino, fraternity national president.

Buscaino convinced Rama to help them finance their anniversary celebration after telling him they have held a lot of civic activities like blood letting, street cleaning, wall painting and campaigns against illegal drug use.

Buscaino also apologized to Rama for the trouble they caused during their motorcade last year. He said Akrho will not hold any motorcade during their celebration this year.

During their anniversary last year, 19-year-old Akrho member Ken John Pariño was arrested for possession of an unlicensed .22 cal. revolver with two live rounds.

Another member was also picked up for drunkenness, while 29 others were rounded up for lighting firecrackers outside the University of San Carlos main campus and disrupting classes.

But the 29 fraternity members were just released after policemen scolded them at the police station.

Akrho officials last year hired several trucks and passenger jeepneys and roamed around the city’s streets while shouting and creating noise. The police said the group has the right to assembly but causing loud noise, traffic congestion and trouble are no longer tolerable. 

After the trouble that happened last year, city police director Patrocinio Comendador plans to recommend to the city that no permit will be granted for a motorcade when the fraternity holds its anniversary this year. — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)