Dormitorio family cries for justice

He was ready for the challenges inside the academy. What he was not prepared for was the daily abuse

Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio had a very bright future ahead of him. Being the son of a retired military colonel and alumnus of the institution, he thought he would have been primed for his military school training when he entered the PMA’s Baguio facility.

What he didn’t expect was the abuse he would get from the alleged hazing incidents which brought about his death last 18 September.

“He was ready for the challenges inside the academy. What he was not prepared for was the daily abuse,” said Darwin’s older brother Dexter in a television interview, who did not see any trace of pain when he last visited him last 25 August.

He even showed his chest to his older brother which did not bear any indication that there was abuse going on inside the PMA.

Last Wednesday, Dormitorio died more than an hour after he was rushed to the PMA station hospital after he complained of stomachache and continuous vomiting at 5:15 a.m. His death was reported by the PMA to the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) in the afternoon of the same day.

The post-mortem autopsy conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory showed that trauma caused by blunt force led to the cadet’s untimely demise. The medico-legal report released last Thursday also said there were visible signs of trauma surrounding the navel of the cadet, which pointed to maltreatment.

The Dormitorio family cries for justice and said they will definitely file charges against those responsible for Darwin’s death.

“He was the youngest child, the pride and joy of our parents,” said Dexter.

Three persons of interest plus 21 others are now subject of investigation, BCPO confirmed.

BCPO director Col. Allen Rae Co said in a press briefing that the three, which includes a third class cadet, a second class cadet and a fourth class cadet, will face administrative charges for violation of the anti-hazing law.

The fourth class cadet is currently in the holding area of the academy, while the third class and second class cadets are now in stockade confinement. Twenty other individuals are subject to investigation to find out if they had knowledge of the hazing incident which took Dormitorio’s life.