It is truly unfortunate that as we celebrate six decades and seven years of Alpha Phi Omega in the Philippines, there are those within our ranks who seek to divide us at this time when unity and solidarity could propel our beloved Fraternity/Sorority to the heights of greatness as we mark the time leading to the centenary of Alpha Phi Omega as the largest, greatest and only service fraternal organization in the world.
Even more disheartening is that these disgruntled elements have manifested their utter ignorance of our relationship with the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity by bringing their “cause” to that forum even if they have been specifically admonished by the national leadership of APO USA that their so-called “cause” is an internal matter and that the latter had no jurisdiction over APO Philippines. After all, APO USA has itself undergone this phase where a small group of dissenters, believing that they can no longer take faith with the national leadership and the commonwealth, had the courage of their convictions to remove themselves and form their own fraternity. Apparently, our home-grown insurgents lack the moral fortitude to form a new fraternity to their own liking but would rather subvert that which is.
We have tried to be tolerant towards these persons as we understand the hurt that they must feel for having been repeatedly rejected by our brothers and sisters to lead this great Fraternity/Sorority. Their present actions clearly manifest the reasons for their rejection. We have allowed them to speak their minds even if the words which they spout and the ideas which they sprout are not only patently ridiculous and scurrilous, but even latent falsehoods designed to deceive, misrepresent and mislead, rather than illuminate, enlighten and educate our brothers and sisters.
But enough is enough.
We assure our brothers and sisters that there is only one Alpha Phi Omega International (Philippines), Inc., and there is only one set of national and regional officers, the first elected during the National Biennial General Assembly held in Dumaguete City in the summer of 2015 and the others at their respective Regional Conventions. Your leadership will move decisively against any and all organizations and pretenders seeking to usurp the authority of the duly elected officers and excise from our ranks those who have shunned everything we hold dearest and holy for the sake of their selfish ends.
We assure our brothers and sisters that the National Biennial General Assembly to be held at General Santos City on May 26 – 28, 2017 is the only duly authorized gathering of our brethren and all those alleged assemblages unlawfully utilizing the name and symbols of the Alpha Phi Omega International (Phils.), Inc, will be duly sanctioned – organizational units shall have their charters revoked and the members stripped of their membership.
We assure our brothers and sisters that the present leadership adheres to the democratic principle that only those who have been elected through the Electoral College after the General Assembly shall enjoy the peaceful transition of leadership within our fraternal organization. Let us do away with conspiracy theories and less cynical of the actions of those who have been elected to act as guardians of the integrity of our organization. In any election the objective is winning within the rules. And winning elections is campaigning hard for the hearts and minds of the electors, not by calling them unprincipled and corrupted.
We apologize to the general membership that these matters should be brought at a time when we should be celebrating the 67th Anniversary of the organization of Alpha Phi Omega in the Philippines. However, it is precisely on occasions such as these that we should reflect on the meaning of Alpha Phi Omega and its relevance to present day society. Each of us must examine our hearts and determine for ourselves if we are still capable of unconditional loyalty to the fraternal organization and the leaders which our brethren have chosen to lead us. Acts of disloyalty as some of our members have displayed do not augur well to our thrust towards attaining greater heights of excellence in the fields of LEADERSHIP, FRIENDSHIP and SERVICE.
May We Always Be,
LUIS PAREDES
National President
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