Sadder news on hazing

The death of Philippine Military Academy cadet Darwin Domitorio due to hazing by senior cadets is cause for grave mourning. We can only condole with Darwin’s parents’ loss of their beloved son; those of us who have lost sons mourn no end, but no words can describe the feeling of parents who lose them due to the depraved minds and cruel hands of “senior brods” of fraternities that are supposed to welcome young, hopeful juniors into their fold.

Attempts have been made to penalize perpetrators of deathly hazing. As early as 1954, President Ramon Magsaysay created a committee to investigate the death of Gonzalo Mariano of a fraternity in the University of the Philippines. The report recommended the expulsion of four officers and suspension of 25 members for one year and suspension of 19 neophytes for a semesters. It also called for reforms on university regulation on fraternities and sororities and the prohibition of all forms of physical initiation. The report was not acted upon, according to the Wikipedia.

Less than a handful of penalties have been slapped on the hazing perpetrators.

It is saddening that President Rodrigo Duterte has declared that it is impossible to stop hazing. And this declaration came over a year after he signed the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018, which bans all forms of hazing. His saying so reminds us of his giving up on solving the terrible traffic situation in Metro Manila, which he had declared, after his assumption to the presidency, of solving – if Congress granted him emergency powers.

The president is reported by Rappler as having said during a press conference on Oct. 1 that he cannot do anything about stopping hazing.

“Hindi ko talaga maalis ‘yan. Ikaw, pumasok ka, ‘pag nahuli ka, sorry ka. Hindi mo talaga matanggal ‘yan,” Duterte said.

(I really can’t take it out. You, if you enter a fraternity and you get caught up in it, too bad for you. You really can’t eliminate it.)

Rappler reported that Duterte claimed he himself was a victim of hazing and had been “hospitalized for 3 days” due to “massive hematoma.” He and some fellow fraternity mates supposedly tried to ask their fraternity to stop physical forms of hazing, to no avail.

“Unless you ban fraternity for all time, make it a criminal offense by joining a fraternity but that would raise so many constitutional issues. I really can’t stop it,” the President said.

In June 2018, Duterte signed the AntiHazing Act of 2018 or Republic Act No. 11053, which bans all forms of hazing.

Prior to the passage of this law, hazing was prohibited only when there’s no prior written notice to school authorities or the organization head.

Duterte’s expression of doubts in stopping hazing comes amid public outrage over the death of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadet Darwin Dormitorio. The 20 year old died due to injuries caused by hazing.

The incident led to the resignation of top PMA officials.

Asked about his take on the Dormitorio incident, Duterte said he would refrain from commenting until the PMA and the Baguio City police finish their respective investigations.

He expects any final appeals to reach his desk for his decision, which would “greatly depend on what is recommended” by the PMA and the police, reported Rappler.

* * * I am completely against the hazing practices of fraternities that lead to deaths if not mental/physical disabilities. Aside from the heavy paddling blows they receive, I have been told of tasteless actions of senior brods that the neophytes cannot forget.

To show how many neophytes have been killed due to hazing, I am putting out a list filed by Wikipedia, of hazing deaths in the Philippines.

1. July 18, 1954, Gonzalo Mariano Albert of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity. President Ramon Magsaysay created the Castro Committee on Oct. 1954 to investigate the death. Four offices of the fraternity were expelled, 25 suspended for one year, 19 neophytes for a semester, and three other members were reprimanded. The commission recommended reforms in fraternities and sororities prohibiting all forms of physical initiation. But no action was made.

2. 1967, Ferdinand Tabtab, Alpha Phi Omega, UP

3. August 21, 1976, Mel Honasan (brother of Sen. Gregorio Honasan), Beta Sigma, San Sebastian College-Recoletos

4. 1981, Andres Ramos Jr., Philippine Military Academy

5. 1983, Arbel Liwag, Beta Sigma, UP Diliman

6. Feb. 10, 1991, Leonardo Villa, Aquila Legis. His death led to the passage of the Anti-Hazing Act of 1995

7. Sept. 8, 1991, Raul Camaligan, Lex Talionis, San Beda College. The father of Camaligan filed charges of murder against the fraternity members involved. The case was won, with the paddle used in the hazing rite used as evidence.

8. Oct. 13, 1991, Frederick Cahiyang, Alpha Phi Omega, University of the Visayas.

9.1991, Felipe Narne, Araullo University, Cabanatuan

10. 1992, Joselito Hernandez, Scintilla Juris, UP, Baguio

11. August 6, 1995, Mark Roland Martin, Epsilon Chi, UP Diliman

12. August 16, 1998, Alexander Icasiano, Alpha Phi Beta, UP Diliman

13. 2000, Ace Bernabe Ekid, Philippine Military Academy

14. March 10, 2001, Edward Domingo, Philippine Military Academy. Two cadets were given the sentence for homicide by the Baguio City Regional Trial Court. The decision was the first time that a civilian court convicted cadets of the PMA 15. 2001, Monico de Guzman, PMA 16.2001, Fernando Balidoy, Philippine Merchant Marine Academy

17. 2001, Rafael Root Albano, Sigma Mu, Far Eastern University

18. 2003, Emerson Berry Jr., Beta Sigma Mu, FEU

19. 2006, Dan Robert Talibutab, Kapatiran ng mga Kabataang Kriminolohiya, St. Therese-MTC Colleges-Magdalo

20. Jan. 14, 2006, Marlon Villanueva, Alpha Phi Omega, UP Los Banos

21. March 3, 2006, Clark Anson Silverio, Tau Gamma Phi, Technological University of the Philippines

22. May 6, 2006, Jan Angelo Dollete, Alpha Phi Omega, Capiz State University

23. Aug. 18, 2006, Dennis Africa, Tau Gamma Phi, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa

24. Jan. 28, 2007, Mark Rodriguez, Tau Gamma Phi, Central Luzon State University

25. Aug. 27, 2007, Cris Mendez, Sigma Rho, UP Diliman

26. Aug. 2, Chester Paolo Abracias, Tau Gamma Phi, Enverga University

27. 2009, Karl Anthony Gaudicos, Tau Gama Phi/Tau Gamma Sigma, Holy Cross of Davao College

28. 2009, John Daniel Samparanda, Tau Gamma Phi, Lyceum of the Philippines University-Cavite

29. Oct. 2009, Elvis Sinaluan, Scouts Royale Brotherhood

30. Nov. 14, 2009, Glacy Monique Dimaranan, Scouts Royale Brotherhood, Lakeshore National High School

31. April 15, 2010, Daniel Lorenz, Mapua university

32. July 18, 2010, Menardo Clamucha, Kapatiran ng mga Batang Kriminoloyia, University of Iloilo

33. Aug. 15, 2010, EJ Karl Initia, Alpha Phi Omega, University of Makati

34. Oct. 27, 2010, Noel Borja Jr, Tau Gamma Phi, DepEd Alternative Learning System

35. Sept. 15, 2011, Nor Silongan, Notre Dame of Tacurong College

36. Feb. 19, 2012, Marvin Reglos, Lambda Rho Beta, San Beda College

37. July 30, 2012, Marc Andrei Marcos, Lex Leonum Fraternitas, San Beda College

38. 2013, John Mark Dugan, Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific

39. June 28, 2014, Guillo Sevando, Tau Gamma Phi, De la Salle College of Saint Benilde

40. Nov. 2, 2014, Ariel Inofre, Tau Gamma Phi, Southern Luzon State University

41. June 24, 2015, Christian Dela Cruz, True Brown Style, Fortunato Halili High School

42. Sept. 30, 2015, Anthony Javier, Tau Gamma Phi, Western Mindanao State University

43. 43 Sept. 17, 2017, Horacio Castillo III, Aegis Juris, University of Santo Tomas. Castilo died after undergoing hazing. The Manila Police District medico-legal doctor said Castillo had a massive heart attack possibly due to the injuries he suffered.

44. Sept. 18, 2019, Darwin Dormitorio, Philippine Military Academy. Darwin, 20, was brought to the hospital after complaining of stomach pain. He succumbed from internal bleeding in the stomach caused by blunt force trauma.

There. Forty-four lives lost due to the cruelty of student hazers.

Email: dominitorrevillas@gmail.com