‘Hazing’ kills Grade 10 student in Negros town

BACOLOD CITY — Local policemen are probing the alleged hazing that claimed the life of a Grade 10 student in San Enrique, Negros Occidental last week.

Police withheld the name of the victim, who just turned 18 on Sept. 3.

According to Police Lt. Sammy Gasataya, deputy police chief of San Enrique Municipal Police Station, the victim was recruited to join a fraternity in March this year.

He did not undergo an initiation or hazing, however, because he was only 17 at the time.

Gasataya said three male teenager-members of a fraternity went to the victim’s house on Sept. 3 and had a drinking session with him, after which they left the house and the victim went home with a limp or lame legs early the following day, Gasataya said.

On Sept. 8, the victim had fever but his parents did not bring him to a hospital, as they assumed he just had a minor injury, Gasataya said.

The following day, the victim felt severely ill, and later died. But before he died, he was able to tell his parents that he was recruited to join a fraternity and that he was paddled during an initiation on Sept. 4 to welcome him as a new member of the group, Gasataya said.

The parents only reported the incident to the police on Sept. 11, Gasataya said, adding that the post-mortem examination result of the victim showed hematoma on his buttocks.

A follow-up operation was then conducted, which led to the three persons, who were last seen with him on the night of Sept.3.

The paddle used during the initiation was recovered from the house of one of the suspects, according to Gasataya, who said the three suspects denied the allegations against them during the investigation.

The probe is ongoing. (Glazyl Masculino)