'Tau Gamma Phi pressured my son to join'

MANILA, Philippines — The father of Guillo Cesar Servando, the latest hazing fatality, believes that his son was targeted by the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.

In an interview with ANC's Headstart on Wednesday, Aurelio Cesar Servando said the Tau Gamma Phi may have wanted his son to join the fraternity because of his physique.

"It was more of the fraternity targeting him," the elder Servando told program host Karen Davila. "Although he was a culinary arts student, he was big. He was a body-builder."

Servando said based on his knowledge of the Tau Gamma Phi, his son was likely pressured to join the organization.

"From what I have inquired from his friends, how they usually operate is they would target men and surround them, smother them and convince to join them, pressure them, unless they want to suffer a bad fate," he said.

The younger Servando, an 18-year-old sophomore student of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, was killed last Saturday in fraternity initiation rites that injured three more students.

According to the STAR, an autopsy report of St. Harold Funeral Parlor said Servando died of injuries in the back and legs.

The elder Servando is urging the suspects who are members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity to yield to authorities who are now tracking them down.

"I would like to appeal to the 11 members to have some conscience in your heart to understand what I am going through... if you could possibly have enough conscience in your heart to just surrender," Servando said.

"Especially if you're one of the lesser evil, the people who were less involved, maybe you could still apply for state witness and absolve yourself," he added.

Servando referred to the suspects as "animals" and warned them that justice will be attained, even if it will not be during their lifetime.

"What kind of animal gave birth to you? Be careful, because if we don't achieve justice in this life, there is a God in this world who will exact justice on you," he said.

"If it is possible, huwag na kayong manganak. Don't bear children because your children and your children's children will pay for what you did to my son. And God will see to that," Servando concluded.

On Tuesday, the Tau Gamma Phi condoled with Servando's family and vowed to fully cooperate with the authorities while conducting an internal investigation.

Lorenzo Lapak, Tau Gamma Phi spokesman, claimed that the fraternity hierarchy was not informed of the Servando's initiation rites.

"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 said in a statement. -Louis Bacani

Related story: Caretaker of house used in hazing talks to police