Senator Win Gatchalian on Tuesday expressed dismay towards University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina and the Office of Student Affairs of the University of Santo Tomas for their “lack of competence” in preventing hazing within the University.
“Naghuhugas kamay ang Office of Student Affairs at si Dean Divina. Naglagay sila ng adviser na sabi nakatutok sa mga aktibidad ng Aegis Juris, pero for six years, wala silang na-detect na hazing sa kanilang eskwelahan [The office of Student Affairs and Dean Divina is washing their hands. They placed an adviser that supposedly will look into the activities of Aegis Juris, but for six years, they were not able to detect any hazing in their university]. So it’s safe to say that the school was ineffective in stopping hazing,” he said.
Due to the recent brutal hazing incident, the Senator said that the enforcement of strict penalties against fraternity members who participate in the cover-up of any hazing incidents should be considered.
The senator also expressed disappointment over the fraternity who, according to Gatchalian, is trying to conceal the criminal activity.
“We can see that the fraternity is trying to conceal and cover up what happened. So, we also have to put it in the law that members who did not actually participate in the hazing, but participated in the cover-up, should be put in jail,” Gatchalian said in an interview after the third Senate inquiry on the death of Castillo.
“It’s alarming how their elders or senior brods who are practicing lawyers, some are even working in the government, are the ones teaching the younger brods how to cover-up and conceal what happened,” Gatchalian added.
Gatchalian proposed that “the act of any member of a fraternity, sorority, organization, or other institution to conceal, prevent the discovery, or otherwise obstruct the investigation of law enforcement officials into reported incidents of hazing be punishable by the penalty of reclusion temporal (imprisonment from twelve years and one day up to twenty years).”
Gatchalian proposed the Senate Bill No. 199 that seeks to replace the Anti-Hazing Law of 1995 or Republic Act 8049 that aims to increase the liabilities of educational institutions in the hopes of completely abolishing hazing.