The House of Representatives on Monday night approved on third and final reading a consolidated bill that seeks to repeal Republic Act 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law of 1995.
House Bill 6573 prohibits all forms of hazing conducted during initiation rites in all fraternities, sororities and similar organizations in campuses and communities.
The Lower House unanimously approved the bill with 210 lawmakers voting for its passage.
HB 6573 also provides for the regulation of all forms of initiation or initiation rites as requisite to gaining membership in fraternity, sorority and other organizations.
It mandates the registration of fraternities, sororities and community-based organizations in schools and local government units.
Parañaque City Rep. Eric Olivarez, one of the bill's authors, said the bill differentiates initiation and initiation rites from hazing, as the former refer to “ceremonies, practices, rituals and other acts that a persons must perform to take part in order to be accepted into a fraternity, sorority or organization.”
Hazing, under the measure, is prohibited at whatever stage of the intiation rite and practice. The act includes pressuring or coercing an individual into violating the law, undergo any brutality of a physical nature; be sub jected to unnecessary prolonged exposure to the elements, forcibly consume any food or substance and other activities that would unnecessary risk the individual to physical, or psychological harm.
Olivarez said the bill proposes to increase penalty to 20 years to life if the acts committed against the victim result to death, suicide, rape, sodomy or mutilation.
Under the measure, administrative sanctions shall be imposed on the accused even before their conviction.
It also mandated faculty adviser of a fraternity, sorority and other school- or community-based organizations to monitor their activities.
The bill also provides that the presence of any person during the hazing will be considered a prima facie evidence of participation unless that individual undertook measures to prevent the commission of the crime.
All officers of the organization will be held jointly liable with those members who actually participated in the hazing, under the proposed law.