Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri yesterday warned the Philippine Miltary Academy (PMA) it will be subjected to harsh penalties under the new law he authored with Sen. Panfilo Lacson in the 17th Congress if they will not open themselves to an investigation.
Zubiri said R.A.11053 or the Strengthened Anti-Hazing Law is a stronger anti-hazing law crafted in the wake of the senseless killing of UST law student Atio Castillo from his supposed fraternity brothers.
Zubiri said that similarly, the cadets involved in the fatal hazing of Darwin Dormitorio of Cagayan de Oro must now pay with the full force of the law against them.
The senator said that as PMA cadets, they are expected to be models for other Filipino youths.
By ganging up on their victim, he said these young men and their organization or fraternity have actually thrown out the values espoused by the PMA.
“They can’t be called fine officers and gentlemen as they exact obedience through fear, intimidation and physical pain,” said Zubiri.
“The death of a promising youth brings so much grief because we have passed a stern law just last year. It seems fraternities haven’t learned their lessons,” Zubiri said.
“The young men who punched out the life of fellow cadet
Darwin Dormitorio of Cagayan de Oro are deemed knowledgeable, disciplined and upright.”
According to Zubiri, it is distressing to repeat the process of seeking justice for hazing victims.
“Yet, we must soldier on to protect our youth. We shall monitor how the Judiciary will do its share with R.A. No. 11053 as their tool,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Sonny Angara said the hazing culture will never change if senior officials of fraternities say it should not change.
“There will be no change if the seniors make the new members feel inferior if they do not go through this violent rites of passage. Let me tell you violence is not what begets loyalty or mental/physical toughness. There are ways to test these.Seems we never learn, or we prefer to learn the hard way,” Angara said.
While there is a law like the recently-amended Anti-Hazing Law, which is very strict, he said there is the so-called operational code or the culture the letter of the law.
As this developed, three suspects have already been identified as those responsible for Dormitorio’s death through hazing.
Dormitorio, 20, died last Wednesday due to blunt force trauma.
Baguio Police officials said it is now considering as suspects the three third class cadets earlier identified as persons of interest in the fatal hazing incident.
“We might add some more cadets depende sa lalabas sa investigation natin if they are involved directly or indirectly,” Police Col. Allen Rae of Baguio Police said.
“Meron pa tayong two more persons of interest. Meron na kasing corroborating evidence as well as testimonies at nagbigay ng statements which tends to prove yung culpability nila.”
The police said they are also looking into the possibility that Dormitorio was earlier beaten up as he was confined at the hospital twice in the previous month.
CCTV cameras where the maltreatment allegedly happened were “malfunctioning,” Rae said.
“As of now ang official na ano natin ay malfunctioning ‘yung CCTV sa barracks kung saan allegedly nangyari ‘yung maltreatment pero will
still trying to coordinate sa PMA,” he said.
The remains of Dormitorio had already been flown back to his hometown in Cagayan de Oro on Saturday.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año attended the send-off ceremony at Loakan Airport.
Año vowed for transparency in the conduct of the the investigation.
“We will make sure na walang cover-up at nakita natin ang tunay na nangyari. And then we will institute measures on how to prevent this kind of incident,” he said.