Facebook, Twibbon accounts seek justice for hazing victim

Hours after learning of his fate, friends and supporters of University of Makati student and hazing victim E.J. Karl Intia demanded justice via social media. Intia's friends brought their crusade to cyberspace, through social networking site Facebook.

Screenshot of the Justice for E.J. Karl Intia Facebook page as of 2:30pm on Friday, August 20, 2010. As of 8:30pm, the site already has 105 Fans.

A "cause" for justice for Intia was also set up on Twibbon, which overlays an icon on supporters' profiles on Facebook, and tweets the affiliation of Twitter users to followers.

The Justice for E.J. Karl Intia Twibbon page.

While the Facebook page appeared to be newly set up and lacked a profile photo as of 2:30 p.m. Friday, it already gained at least 18 followers who "liked" it. As of 8:30 pm, the site had already gone up to 105 Fans. The body of Karl, a fast-food worker who took a vocational course at UM, was found near a ravine in Laguna province Sunday, a day after he went missing. But it was not until early Friday that his father positively identified his remains, which had been brought to a funeral parlor. Police investigators said the injuries on Karl's body indicated he was a victim of hazing rites of the APO fraternity. On the other hand, Karl's last status messages - "Mind over matter ... never quit ..." - on his own Facebook page was dated Aug. 6 and 11. His Facebook page also indicated he is from Zarraga, Iloilo.

Karl's last status update on Facebook.

Criticism mounts versus fraternity Criticism against Alpha Phi Omega (APO), the fraternity linked to the hazing, continues to mount online. In the Facebook plugin on Twibbon's site, one of the critics even claimed to be Intia's cousin.

Criticism against APO mounts on Twibbon.

"Katapanagn ba yong pinakita nyo mga apo???hinayaan nyo lng yung cousin ko ..tinapon nyo pa (Is this what you call courage, APO? You abandoned my cousin and dumped his body)," said Jet Sultan. "SA MGA TAONG INVOLVE DTO,,HINDI KO ALAM KUNG PAANO KYO PINAPATULON NG KONSENSYA NYO,,TINANGGALAN NYO NG PANGARAP ANG KANYANG MGA MAGULANG MAAWA NMAN KYO ,,AT TUMULONG NA MABIGYAN NG HUSTISYA ANG PAG KAMATAY NI EJ,,, (To the people involved here, I do not know how your consciences can bear what you did. You snuffed out the dream of his parents. Have mercy and help attain justice)," said Jean Castro. "There are lots of ways to do hazings which do not need physical punishments. What happened was a sadistic way...trigger happy...out of control punishments...pakitang gilas...kayabangan...kagagohan...the essence of the purpose for accepting a new member was forgotten...Now the family and friends of the victim cry for justice...where is your brotherhood now? What kind of principles do you stand now?" said Rochelle Stamaria. - TJ, GMANews.TV