5 suspects in hazing of student identified

The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) has identified five suspects in the death of a 20-year-old marine engineering student at the University of Cebu (UC)-METC who reportedly died during the initiation rites of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.

This was based on the statement of the first person of interest who was first known and from the teacher who recruited the victim, Ronnel Baguio.

Police Lt. Col. Ma. Theresa Macatangay, CCPO spokesperson, said the suspects are members of Tau Gamma Phi.

“Hopefully sila mokooperar sab sa imbestigasyon ang mao nga grupo. I believe each group has a creed nga ilahang gisunod, so ari nato makita kung kaning grupoha, kani nga brotherhood nga gitawag, are indeed true to their creed and they would help us identify the other suspects, other attendees,” said Macatangay.

She said the two witnesses were the teacher who recruited the victim, while the other one is from Negros Oriental who was with the victim when they entered the fraternity.

The witness survived the initiation rites.

Macatangay appealed, especially to the fraternity officers, not to touch the witnesses if they know who they are.

The suspects reportedly consisted of the master initiator and some students.

According to the witness, they were brought to the chapel where they were gathered and then blindfolded and taken to a place where they did not know where they were.

The police have been directed to the location where the initiation rites were held, but they are still to go there.

If the statements of the two witnesses match, the police will file murder charges and violation of the Anti-Hazing Law against the suspects, even if the victim's parents are not present to stand as complainants.

Teacher among the suspects

The teacher who recruited Baguio would be among those who would be charged, but there is a possibility that he will be made into a state witness.

"Katong sa recruiter maapil gyud siya sa kaso so we have to determine gyud unsa may participation kada usa karing na identify nato nga mga culprits. Kelangan man na sa balaod nga each of these persons unsay ilahang participation to the crime must be identified so apil na siya," Macatangay said.

She added their investigator was always communicating with the victim's family but noted some shortcomings because important items such as cellphones were not immediately retrieved.

“Actually, after the incident was entered in the blotter on December 19, 2022 our investigator wala'y bugto sa iyahang pagcoordinate sa family. As a matter of fact, around that time the mother was asked to turn over the cellphone of the victim to the investigator. Because in that cellphone… didto unta ta makakuha og mga leads. Unfortunately, the family itself requested nga igka human nalang daw sila mo-estorya igkahuman sa lubong ug ikagawas sa result sa autopsy,” said Macatangay.

Promising career

“He has a promising career ahead of him, kay we, in the Philippines, control 30 percent of the seafarers… gwapo kaayo unta iyang future, cut short by hazing,” said University of Cebu President Augusto Go.

Go, in an interview over Balitang Bisdak, said they have made their own investigation, but refused to disclose its details, but assured the university had been fully cooperating with the police investigation.

Go also expressed his condolences to the family for the tragic death of one of their students at METC and denied that UC did not extend any help to them when asked for such.

“Had I known that this boy was sick, (I'd have brought) him to our hospital.

We have two hospitals, even if the incident happened outside the school. That’s our obligation. Had I known, I should have brought him to the best care possible,” Go said.

He is also extending the needed assistance to the bereaved family although he doesn’t have any communication with the family yet, especially with the mother who sought justice for his son.

Just like Baguio’s family, Go and the rest of UC are also praying that justice will be served.

Go said the UC instructor, who recruited the victim, has also been investigated already but had not been arrested.

Go is writing all campuses expressing condemnation of Baguio's death at the same time making it a lesson for the rest of the students to seek guidance from the school counselor, the chaplain, and nuns before entering into fraternities.

Go said he is also a member of a fraternity himself, but they do not do hazing.

UC is not banning fraternities in their school just yet, but said, they do not allow any of them to operate without properly registering to the school for proper guidance and background checking.

Go hopes no other similar tragic incident will happen, not only to UC, but to all other schools.