For nth time, frats urged to adopt strict anti-hazing policy

FILE: Police officers listen to the announcement of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. during a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Wednesday (Jan. 4, 2023). Abalos urged all colonels and generals in the Philippine National Police with purported links to illegal narcotics to immediately resign their posts. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday called on fraternities operating in academic institutions to adopt a strict anti-hazing policy pursuant to Republic Act 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law.

PNP public information office chief Col. Redrico Maranan made the call in the wake of the hazing death of John Matthew Salilig, a 24-year-old chemical engineering student from Adamson University.

Maranan said under the law, school officials should communicate with the families of the students and should also work with PNP.

This, as the police force can only step in when there is violation of the law as such illegal activities often take place within school premises.

“Ang atin mensahe sa lahat ng fraternity na nandiyan sa loob ng eskuwelahan, ang pagsasagawa ng hazing ay isang labag sa batas angpenalty rito ay pagkakulong habambuhay. Huwag gawin yan sapagkat nakakamatay at nakakasira ng buhay ng tao at nakakasira ng pamilya (Our message to all the fraternities in school campuses, hazing is against the law and the penalty here is life imprisonment. Avoid it because it kills and destroys human life and family),” Maranan said in an interview with reporters.

He also urged the academe to intensify its monitoring and regular communication with the students belonging to fraternity groups existing in their institutions.

“Our call to all school officials to monitor and watch over students as well. The same call applies to the families of the students to also watch the activities because we will know that usually, our children will announce that they are going somewhere, stay overnight where only to find out that the destination is initiation rites. If our children asked permission to go somewhere, it would better for them to be accompanied by other members of the family if possible,” Maranan explained.

The PNP has recorded a total of 178 incidents of hazing since 2012.

“Since 2012 hanggang 2022 at bumababa naman simula nung 2018 to the peak of 30 incidents, ngayon 2022 ay nakapagtala lang tayo ng five hazing incidents (Since 2012 to 2022 and it has been decreasing since 2018 to the peak of 30 incidents, now 2022 we have only recorded five hazing incidents),” said Maranan.

Uncovering the truth

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Virgilio Jopia, acting chief of police of Biñan, Laguna police said another witness identified as Roi dela Cruz, also a student of the Adamson University, went to the Biñan Police Station on Wednesday and recounted their “painful” ordeal during their initiation rights with the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.

Dela Cruz, a neophyte member of the fraternity, said he underwent the initiation rights along with Salilig.

He showed the injuries he sustained from the hazing, particularly at the back of his thighs where he received more than 70 blows using a paddle.

“Ang sabi sa akin is since we have anti-hazing law ang ibibigay na lang 12 to 24 (na palo) marami na ‘yung 24 so naniwala ako, plus the benefits na pwede mong matanggap so pinursue ko kasi may financial struggle din kami (I was told that since we have an anti-hazing law, only 12 to 24 (which is beaten) will be given, 24 is already a lot, so I believed, plus the benefits that you can receive, so I pursued because we also have a financial struggle),” Dela Cruz said in a TV interview.

“Pinatakan (din) nila ako ng candle sa likod inukit nila ‘yung logo ng fraternity sa likod ko then tinanggal nila ‘yung mga patak ng candlesa likod ko gamit ang belt pinalo nila ako (They (also) put a candle on my back, they carved the logo of the fraternity on my back, then they removed the candle drops on my back with a belt and beat me),” he added.

Dela Cruz said he heard Salilig answering in the affirmative after being asked by those conducting their initiation rights if he was okay.

Dela Cruz and the other witness also pointed to the house where the initiation rights happened.

He also positively identified six fraternity officers who were involved in the hazing including the fraternity leader in Adamson, Tung Cheng Teng Jr.

They were at the police station at that time after being invited by the police for questioning. They were immediately placed under arrest for violation of the Anti-Hazing Law.

Jopia said they were still looking for seven individuals who were already identified and considered as persons of interest.

Jopia said they now consider the incident as a “solved case but not closed yet”.

The Biñan police is set to file charges for the violation of Anti-Hazing Law against the suspects before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday.

Police also recovered on Wednesday the vehicle where Salilig reportedly died while on their way back to Manila.

The vehicle was positively identified by Dela Cruz and the other witness, a member of the fraternity who earlier pointed to the area where Salilig’s body was buried.

The owner of the vehicle, Gregorio Cruz, the father of Aaron, a member of the fraternity Biñan chapter who was among the persons of interest on the case, has already been arrested over obstruction of justice.

They may face charges for the violation of Republic Act 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Law and may be penalized of lifetime imprisonment.

Salilig’s body was recovered on Tuesday in Imus, Cavite. He was last seen alive on Feb. 17 while on his way to Biñan, Laguna on board a bus.

Based on the autopsy report of the Police Regional Office 4-A (Calabarzon), Salilig died due to severe blunt-force trauma to the lower extremities.

Salilig’s body bore injuries similar to dela Cruz — at the back of his thigh, which indicates that he also received extreme hitting on the said area.