MANILA, Philippines — With the indictment of fraternity members responsible for the killing of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri warned those involved in violent hazing rites of the possibility of facing the full force of the law and rotting in jail.
Zubiri commended the Department of Justice (DOJ) for its swift action on the case of Salilig, who died from hazing conducted by his supposed brothers in welcome rites of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity in Biñan City, Laguna last Feb. 18.
Salilig succumbed to his injuries and his frat brothers tried to hide their crime by burying his body in a shallow grave in Imus, Cavite. Authorities dug up the decomposing corpse on Feb. 28.
“I thank the DOJ for its swift action on the case of Salilig, indicting seven fraternity members linked to his death,” said Zubiri. “I also thank the Philippine National Police for being hot on the trail of the suspects. Our law enforcement agencies’ quick and firm action and apprehension is the best deterrent to crime.”
He added that the indictment “serves as a cold warning to our fraternities that the anti-hazing law is at work, and that when you commit a crime, the long arm of the law will find you and justice will be served.”
To the hardheaded and those who continue to conduct hazing, he warned: “I assure you that you are not safe from the anti-hazing law. You will also face the law, and you too will rot in jail.”
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian urged the public to be “vigilant until justice is served and those who violated the law are held accountable.”
“The message to those who continue committing hazing should be loud and clear: that they will not get away with their ghastly crimes and their mockery of the law. The culture of violence masked as brotherhood should stop now,” Gatchalian said.
Revive death penalty
If he had his way, Joeffrey Salilig, John Matthew’s father, would rather have the death penalty revived since the current law banning hazing rites seems not to deter members of fraternities.
He appealed to lawmakers during an interview with ANC yesterday to consider amending Republic Act 11053, or the Anti-Hazing Law, to introduce death penalty as punishment for those found guilty of organizing hazing activities.
Salilig said his son’s death at the hands of his supposed fraternity brothers is a huge blow to their family.
The only way he believes that fraternity groups would stop their brutality is through the re-imposition of the death penalty.
“I am now in favor of this so that these fraternities involved in these kind of initiation rites will really observe (the rule of law), that they would not do hazing,” he said partly in Filipino.
Under the current law, those found guilty of hazing face the maximum penalty of reclusion perpetua or 40 years imprisonment.
If the fraternities could not do away with violence, Salilig said the fraternities should lessen the number of paddle blows to be given to neophytes.
He noted the 70 blows his son took from his tormentors were too much and that these were “inhuman.” – Emmanuel Tupas