Caretaker of house used in hazing talks to police

MANILA, Philippines - The caretaker of a house in Barangay Palanan, Makati City used by 11 members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity in initiation rites that resulted in the death of a sophomore student of De La Salle-College of St. Benilde (DLS-CSB) surfaced at the Manila Police District (MPD) yesterday.

Jomar Pajarito is a witness in the fatal hazing of hotel and restaurant management student Guillo Servando, 18, last Saturday night, police said.

“He decided to surrender kasi may namatay. Nakonsenya yata siya (because someone died, he felt guilty),” a source privy to the investigation told The STAR.

Servando and fellow fraternity neophytes, including John Paul Raval, 18, were dropped off at One Archer’s Place condominium along Taft Avenue, Manila after the initiation rites in Makati. Raval is the son of retired Chief Superintendent Manuel Raval, former police director of Caraga region.

Police have identified four of the suspects in the fatal hazing based on the logbook of One Archer’s Place. They are Trex Garcia, Levi Garcia, Hans Tamaring and Bondst Aquino.

Pajarito, caretaker of a house allegedly owned by Merlyn Venus, turned himself in to MPD director Chief Superintendent Rolando Asuncion at past 2 p.m.

Asuncion said Pajarito saw Servando and the three other neophytes when they arrived in the house last Saturday. But he did not witness the initiation rites.

Tau Gamma condoles

The Tau Gamma Phi fraternity yesterday condoled with the family of Servando.

Lorenzo Lapak, spokesman for the fraternity, surfaced at the MPD headquarters shortly after Pajarito’s surrender.

Lapak pointed out that the fraternity hierarchy was not informed of the initiation rites in Makati.

“The Tau Gamma Phi is troubled by news reports that some members of the fraternity have been involved in the fatal hazing of Servando. It regrets that some members of its DLS-CSB chapter have not abided by the fraternity’s no hazing policy,” the fraternity statement read.

“It is conducting an internal investigation and will fully cooperate with the authorities to bring those involved to justice,” it added.

MPD spokesman Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo said the suspect may be turned over to the Makati police.

The case against the suspects in the fatal hazing of Servando should be airtight to ensure conviction, National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Carmelo Valmoria said.

Valmoria said there is no deadline for MPD investigators to probe Servando’s case.

Noy: No need to ban fraternities

President Aquino sees no need to impose a total ban on fraternities in universities and colleges.

Aquino, however, said there is a need to study the Anti-Hazing Law to prevent deaths or injuries of students who join fraternities.

“I don’t think there is a need for a full ban. There is an anti-hazing law in the books. So one has to ask, what is lacking in terms of enforcement that prevents us from exercising the full penalties embodied in the law,” the President said.

He called on the elders of fraternities to help universities stop hazing. 

“I am not a member of a fraternity but to inflict such harm on people you will call brothers, it escapes any logic that I can fathom,” Aquino said.

Malacañang earlier vowed to apply the full force of the law in going after the hazing suspects.

Binay bucks frat ban

Vice President Jejomar Binay, a member of Alpha Phi Omega, yesterday opposed calls to ban fraternities.

“I’m not in favor of banning fraternities. We must remember that it is the people’s constitutional right to join organizations,” he said.

“Banning a fraternity is sweeping. It is not constitutional.”

The vice president said fraternities involved in violent and fatal hazing should be punished.

Binay assured the families of the hazing victims of police protection as they expressed fears of retaliation from members of Tau Gamma Phi should they testify against them.

 Education Secretary Armin Luistro, former DLSU president, is against the legalization of fraternities in schools, saying these represent a wrong sense of brotherhood.

Luistro said freshmen students of DLSU and CSB are asked to sign a waiver that they will not join fraternities or sororities.

For his part, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara said yesterday that a change in the attitude and culture of fraternities and its members is needed to put an end to incidents of hazing.

Angara said the Anti-Hazing Law provides penalties against fraternities and individuals involved in the harsh treatment of neophytes, be it through hazing, intimidation or even mere threats.

“In my opinion, the law is not the problem here because if a person or group is bent on doing this (hazing), they won’t be stopped,” Angara said in an interview over dzBB.– With Delon Porcalla, Non Alquitran, Jose Rodel Clapano, Marvin Sy, Helen Flores, Jess Diaz, Rhodina Villanueva, Evelyn Macairan