Police authorities on Monday declared the closure of the John Matthew Torres Salilig, who died last month after undergoing hazing rites from members of the Tau Gamma fraternity of the Adamson University in Manila.
During the continuation of the Senate hearing probing circumstances surrounding the death of Salilig on Monday, Biñan City Chief of Police Lt. Col. Virgilio Jopia said they have already arrested seven suspects, filed three cases and identified 11 others, who still remain at large.
Jopia told Sen. Francis Tolentino, chairman of the committee on justice and human rights, which held the hearing jointly with the committee on public order and security, that they were only waiting for the issuance of warrants against the suspects.
The 24-year-old Salilig, a third-year chemical engineering student, died on February 18 after undergoing initiation rites from Tau Gamma Phi fraternity members in Laguna. His body was found 10 days later in Imus, Cavite.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo told the committee that he would file a bill that would widen the responsibility and culpability under Republic 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 in hazing cases that would include officers of fraternities and sororities, even if they were not present during initiation rites.
The measure would also include superintendents of both the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) under the doctrine of command responsibility where the penalty would be reclusion perpetua.
“Tingnan natin kung hindi magpakatino ang PMA, PNPA,” Tulfo said, adding “only then matitigil ang hazing sa PMA at PNPA.”
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri noted that despite the existence of RA 11053, whose initiation and passage he had ardently pushed, hazing cases and deaths are still being recorded in the country.
Zubiri is amenable to amendments of RA 11053 although he believed that the law is already sufficient in its current form, and what it needs is its vigorous implementation.