MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has admitted that he was also a victim of hazing, being hospitalized from “massive hematoma,” when he was a law student at San Beda College.
At a dinner with media in Davao City on Friday night, the President said fraternity members are brutal to recruits, especially when they belong to prominent families.
He said during his initiation, he was asked if he was the son of the late Davao governor Vicente Gonzales Duterte.
“Kaya ako, three days ako umuwi kaagad ako. Pa-ospital. Massive hematoma, (I stayed for three days. I immediately went home from the hospital. Massive hematoma),” Duterte said.
He, however, did not say if the hazing was part of initiation rites for new recruits of his college fraternity Lex Talionis.
Duterte relayed his hazing experience as authorities are probing the death of Horacio Castillo III, a 22-year-old freshman law student at the University of Santo Tomas.
Castillo was believed to have died after initiation rites by the Aegis Juris fraternity.