Yes, you read that right. That’s really the name of a village in Valenzuela City, which is ironic, to say the least.
“On Wednesday afternoon, Mar 5, Regan Buen, 18, and Mario Reyes, 19, were arrested for allegedly beating and using cigarettes to burn eight children as part of a rite to initiate them into a street gang, which they claimed to be a fraternity, in Disiplina Village, Valenzuela City,” reports Rey Galupo in The Philippine Star.
In fact, Buen and Galupo were tagged as as “fraternity masters” by the eight children, whose ages ranged from 11 to 14. They reportedly recruited the children to join the San Francisco-Novaliches Gang.
According to the report, the kids’ parents asked Councilor Tony Espiritu, chairman of the city council’s task force on fraternities and gang intervention and prevention, to intervene after they saw the burns and contusions on their kids.
Aside from hurting the kids, Buen and Reyes also reportedly encouraged them to smoke marijuana and to fight with members of rival street gangs.
Even worse, Buen and Reyes had also asked the girls (there were three of them among the eight victims) to choose between “hirap o sarap (pain or pleasure)” during the initiation rite. “Hirap” meant they would get hurt, while “sarap” meant they would get molested. Not much of a choice there—but all three girls reportedly opted for “hirap.”
In any case, when members of the Valenzuela police women’s and children’s protection unit and social workers raided Disiplina Village, there were a number of residents there tried to prevent them from making arrests. At least one of the said hostile residents was arrested.
Buen and Reyes, who were initially charged with physical injuries in relation to the child abuse law, are also going to be charged for violating the anti-hazing law.
