Hazing Claims Another Bedan

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines --- Police are now looking for a 27-year-old law student of San Beda College-Alabang campus and his two household helpers to shed light on the alleged hazing of a freshman law student Sunday night.

Senior Superintendent John C. Bulalacao, Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, said the name of a certain “Gean” cropped up during the investigation on the death of San Beda College of Law freshman Marc Andrei Marcos by operatives of the Dasmariñas police.



“Apparently, the case involving Marc Andrei Marcos was first reported to be a case of mauling incident, that he is a victim of a mauling incident,” Bulalacao told the Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.

Bulalacao said Marcos was taken to the De la Salle University Medical Center by a certain Soledad Sanda at around 10:30 p.m. on July 29, and claimed that he was mauled by a group of unidentified men at Sitio Bisaya, Lt. Cantimbuhan Street in Barangay Zone 3, Dasmariñas City.

The investigators chanced upon Sanda early Monday morning in the hospital, and was later quizzed regarding the incident.

During the probe, the man named Gean turned out to be Gian Angelo Velus, whose family owns the farm in Dasmariñas City where the alleged initiation rites was conducted on Marcos.

Velus is reportedly a 4th year law student of the San Beda College-Alabang Campus.

Bulalacao, however, said that they have yet to confirm the report that Marcos was a hazing victim and the fraternity he was joining.

Aside from Sanda and Velus, Bulalacao said they also want to invite a certain Marlene Guadayo who was reportedly the one who requested for the admission of Marcos in the hospital.

The police report, however, said that at least three people brought Marcos at the De la Salle University Medical Center.

Sanda, however, was released to the lawyer who represented her on Monday.

“Allegedly, Soledad Sanda and Marlen Guadayo are cooks of Veluz family at their farm located on Lt. Cantimbuhan Sreet, Barangay Zone 3, Dasmariñas City,” said Bulalacao.

“These ladies could no longer be found,” he added.

Bulalacao said that they are not yet considering the three as suspects, adding that they just want to ask them a few questions since their names cropped up during the probe.

The conduct of hazing activities as major requirement for joining fraternities and sororities is still rampant amid the passage of the law criminalizing it and some celebrated cases with regard to such incidents.

Reports of hazing incidents are reportedly prevalent in law schools and even at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

Initial report indicated that Marcos died from body injuries last Monday at the De La Salle University Medical Center (DLUMC) in Dasmariñas City, Cavite, after he allegedly had undergone fraternity initiation rites at Sitio Bisaya, Lt. Kantimbuhan Street, Barangay Zone 3, also in Dasmariñas.

Marcos succumbed reportedly to beatings by a still unknown number of perpetrators.

Marcos’ death was posted late Monday night on the Facebook page of the San Beda College of Law Student Government (LSG).

But the San Beda College administration officials have yet to issue an official statement regarding the reports.

The news regarding the death of a San Beda Law student due to hazing broke on various social media sites late Monday night, the Philippine Online Chronicles (POC) said.

Also on Facebook, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Faculty of Arts and Letters posted a statement confirming the death of one of its alumni, the POC reported.

“Andrei Marcos was a graduate of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, University of Santo Tomas. He finished with a degree of AB Legal Management last March 2012. Unfortunately, he was killed during a fraternity hazing after being admitted at San Beda College this academic year,” the post said.

“Let us pray for his soul and hope that justice will be delivered to him,” it added.

The victim’s friends have also posted about the victim’s death on social media site Twitter Monday.

Earlier this year, San Beda College of Law freshman Marvin Reglos died due to injuries caused by hazing during the initiation rites of the Lambda Rho Beta fraternity, the POC said.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III asked Congress to impose a life term for anyone who participates in hazing, regardless of the condition of the victim.

Sotto issued the statement after expressing anger over the recent death of Marcos.

He has filed Senate Bill No. 3131, seeking to amend the 17-year-old RA 8049 or the Anti-Hazing law.

The bill has been referred to the Senate public order committee chaired by Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) where hazing is also practiced.

Sotto argued that the law has proven to be inadequate in deterring fatal hazing in universities and colleges and in making fraternities and sororities accountable.

The Sotto bill seeks the automatic punishment of life imprisonment for any fraternity or sorority officers or members who participate “in the infliction of physical harm in hazing or other forms of initiation rites.” (With a report from Mario B. Casayuran)

source: mb.com.ph