Duterte signs tougher Anti-Hazing Act

President Duterte signed into law a tougher Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 which finally prohibits hazing and regulates other forms of initiation rites of fraternities, sororities and other organizations, and penalizes violations.

Republic Act (RA) No. 11053 was signed by Duterte on June 29, 2018. It prohibits all forms of hazing in fraternities, sororities, and organizations in schools, including citizens’ military and army training.

It defines hazing as any act that results in physical or psychological suffering, harm, or injury inflicted on a recruit, neophyte, applicant, or member as a prerequisite for admission in an organization.

Among the hazing acts mentioned in the new law are paddling, whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity.

The law explicitly states that in no case will hazing be made a requirement for employment in any business or corporation.

The law also imposes a penalty of reclusion perpetua and a fine of P3 million upon those who participated in the hazing if the act results to death, rape, sodomy, or mutilation.

A penalty of reclusion temporal and a P1-million fine will be imposed on all those present during the hazing, and all those who will try to hide the fact that such act happened, and those who will obstruct any investigation that will be conducted.

RA 11053 provides for harsher penalties compared to RA 8049 as it also penalizes those who will try to cover up the fact that such a hazing happened.

Calls for a tougher anti-hazing law surfaced following the death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law student Horacio Castillo III while undergoing initiation rites conducted by members of the Aegis Juris fraternity.