The Department of Justice has backed measures seeking to amend Republic Act 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law, saying the statute merely regulates hazing, but does not actually prohibit such act as criminal offense.
In a three-page legal opinion submitted to the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs headed by Senator Grace Poe, Justice Undersecretary Zabedin Azis said the DoJ is supporting any bill in Congress aimed at enhancing the Anti-Hazing Law due to numerous reported incidents of death among neophytes “which the present law failed to curtail.”
“We reiterate our suggestion to consider hazing, which has been defined under the proposed legislative measures as including both the infliction of physical and psychological harm to neophyte, as a prohibited act,” the DoJ said.
“Notably, the present law merely regulates hazing and does not exactly make the act criminal,” the Justice department added.
According to Azis, she agreed with the proposed measures in Congress seeking to impose stiffer penalties against hazing in fraternities, sororities and other organizations.
It also backs the legislative measures seeking to prohibit the participation of school authorities, including barangay, municipal and city officials in ensuring the regulation of initiation rites.
The DoJ cited the Supreme Court’s previous rulings on hazing cases regarding the implication of the presence of alumni in initiation rites.
The high court proposed the amendment of the Anti-Hazing Law to include the fact of intoxication and the presence of non-resident or alumni fraternity member during hazing as aggravating circumstances that would increase applicable penalties.