PNP vows action as PNPA 'hazing' video surfaces

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Wednesday it will take the necessary actions after a video of what appears to be initiation rites by cadets of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) surfaced.

Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, PNP spokesperson, urged the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC), a bureau under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) handling the PNPA, to confirm the veracity of the video which showed PNPA cadets hitting apparent fellow cadets with sticks and paddles.

The video, which first surfaced in a news report by online news site Rappler.com, was allegedly taken in 2017. In the one-minute-and-31-second video, at least 10 cadets were lined up as the tormentors hit them in the hands, feet and thighs.

According to the report, one of the punishers in the video was Police Inspector Ylam Lambenecio, one of the six members of the PNPA Class of 2018 who were ganged upon by underclassmen last March 21.

"If this incident is true, the PNP will not tolerate it as this violates the antihazing law," Bulalacao said.

He said formal initiation rites are organized and sanctioned by the academy and are "properly conducted" and "supervised," with medical and tactical officers present.

"What is shown in the video is pure and simple maltreatment activity which is violative of the anti-hazing law," he said.

He said that since the academy is under the PPSC, it should initiate the probe and "the PNP will help particularly in the gathering of evidence and filing of the case."

PPSC President Ricardo de Leon said a board of inquiry has already been formed to look into the 2017 hazing.

De Leon said he could not believe the video when he saw it, since the cadets and PPSC officials had made a covenant to refrain from conducting violent initiation rites.