MANILA — The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has reminded public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) to regulate recruitment and initiation activities following the recent death of De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) sophomore Guillo Cesar Servando due to hazing, of which the CHED has also expressed its condemnation.
After undergoing fraternity initiation rites, Servando died on the night of June 28 after sustaining multiple injuries from members of Tau Gamma Phi.
CHED had further reiterated through its memoranda to schools to institute measures that would prevent fraternity deaths like that of Servando, Marvin Reglos, and Marc Andre Ramos who are all students of San Beda.
The Commission has also advised HEIs to be aware of their responsibilites and duties and comply with the provisions of RA No. 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law.
“The Commission calls upon the officials of the College, the officers and members of the fraternity to undertake with utmost urgency all proper and necessary measures to ferret out the truth, investigate with expediency thecircumstances leading to the senseless loss of a young life. Perpetrators and persons responsible should be properly penalized,” CHED Chairperson Patricia Licuanan said in a statement.
Initiations and other violent activities are said to counteract the fundamental principles that established HEIs.