15 Tau Gamma Phi members hunted in hazing

MANILA, Philippines - Police are tracking down up to 15 members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity in connection with initiation rites that killed a neophyte and left three other students of De La Salle-College of St. Benilde (DLS-CSB) seriously wounded last Saturday night.

The fraternity initiation rites killed second-year hotel and restaurant management student Guillo Servando, 18. An autopsy report of St. Harold Funeral Parlor said he died of injuries in the back and legs.

Among the injured is John Paul Raval, 18, the son of retired Chief Superintendent Manuel Raval, former police director of the Caraga region who retired in 2003.

View: Footage of Benilde hazing victim being dragged bared

The young Raval was initially admitted to the Philippine General Hospital together with Lorenze Agustin and a 17-year-old student. The identity of the minor was withheld.

Raval occupied the unit in One Archer’s Place condominium, where he and fellow fraternity neophytes were dropped off after the fatal initiation rites.

It was also Raval who called the Manila Red Cross emergency when Servando lost consciousness on the bathroom floor.

At the same time, probers clarified that the suspects are members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity in DLS-CSB and not Alpha Kappa Rho, as initially reported.

This is contrary to the information that the victims initially provided to police investigators.

The students initially told investigators that the head of Alpha Kappa Rho-University of Santo Tomas chapter recruited them.

Manila Police District (MPD) director Chief Superintendent Rolando Asuncion said the students might have tried to mislead the police out of fear.

He said probers led by Inspector Steve Casimiro are looking at 11 to 15 suspects, three of whom have been identified.

“Hopefully we can file the case today,” Asuncion said.

Police said a man identified only as Aircon picked up the neophytes at the McDonald’s restaurant along Taft Avenue near Vito Cruz at past 5 p.m. last Saturday.

They rode a taxi to the site of the initiation rites. Police have yet to establish the exact venue but said Aircon paid P60 as fare, indicating that the site was close to One Archer’s Place.

Four hours later the group returned to the condominium.

Based on the condominium logbook, the students were dropped off at about 9:30 p.m. by four men, who identified themselves as Hans Tamaring, Trex Garcia, Levi Flores and Bonds Aquino.

Guards thought the students were drunk because they were unsteady on their feet. They proceeded to the 29th floor to Raval’s rented condominium unit.

Camera footage at 9:34 p.m. showed a still conscious Servando lying on the floor, as two boys dragged him out of the elevator.

Servando was obviously weak and could no longer stand. His companions were seen trying to put his arms around their necks and shoulders so he could stand and walk to Raval’s unit, but this did not help so they had to drag him.

When they managed to bring Servando into the unit, he fell unconscious near Raval’s bathroom.

At 1 a.m., the Red Cross informed the MPD of Servando’s death.

When the police arrived, they saw Raval, Agustin and the minor lying face down on the floor.

Their bodies were black and blue, while Servando was stiff and cold.

Asuncion said the victims’ families are expected to give their statements today.

The University of Sto. Tomas issued a statement expressing deep sadness for the death of Servando.

UST said verification from school records showed that Trex Garcia and Hans Tamaring are not UST students and that the Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity is not in the official roster of recognized student organizations in the university.

Authorities are now coordinating with the DLS-CSB in the investigation.

Agustin of Prime City towers in San Antonio Village, Makati remains in critical condition due to severe injuries.

Raval and the minor are in stable condition.

Former police general Raval said the kidneys of his son and the minor are still being monitored in the hospital.

“They had about 15 companions (in the hazing) and they knew them,” the elder Raval said.

He said John Paul told them that he and his three companions met the fraternity elders at a fastfood restaurant and then they proceeded to the initiation rites.

The younger Raval earlier told the MPD that they were picked up by members of the Akrho-UST chapter last Saturday afternoon for their initiation.

The wake of Servando, a graduate of La Salle Greenhills, is being held at the school. He is a son of entrepreneur Taboy Servando.

The elder Raval said the family rented the unit for his son so the boy could avoid traffic.

The father said he had warned his youngest son not to join any fraternity for his own safety.

Full force of the law

Malacañang yesterday vowed to use the full force of the law in going after the suspects in the fatal hazing of the Saint Benilde sophomore.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda warned fraternities that “this should not continue.”

“There is an Anti-Hazing Act, and if any death occurs, you will be held liable. Think about your future,” Lacierda told a news briefing.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will conduct an investigation into the alleged hazing incident that resulted in the death of Servando.

CHED-National Capital Region director Leonida Calagui said her office has been tasked to conduct the probe.

In a statement on Sunday, DLS-CSB vice chancellor Robin Serrano reiterated the college prohibits fraternities and fraternity-related violence.

Leaders of the House of Representatives lamented yesterday that the Anti-Hazing Law is still not enforced in the country, even as they urged parents and school authorities to closely monitor the activities of their children and student organizations.

Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education, said strict enforcement of the Anti-Hazing Law could help prevent serious injuries and deaths of students who join fraternities.

Romulo said universities, colleges and high school authorities should also be more pro-active in enforcing their regulations concerning fraternities and other student organizations.

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said hazing deaths result from failure of parents to keep a keen watch on their children and give them ample advice, failure of school authorities to regulate fraternities and growing audacity of fraternities due to poor implementation of the law. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe Delon Porcalla, Helen Flores, Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez