Homicide charges filed vs 11 Capiz fraternity members

Police filed homicide and hazing charges yesterday against 11 officers of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity and sorority in Capiz for the death of a fifth-year engineering student during initiation rites last May 6.

Charged with homicide and violation of Republic Act 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Act in the Capiz provincial prosecutor’s office were Christy Baldisimo Honrado, Silvester Bellosillo, Phil Ralph Patricio, Dinky Mandar, Joel Bellosillo, Archie Denolo, Christina Paula Fabros, Dexter Alvarez, Ramir Bula, Steve Honrado, and a certain Deneo.

Senior Superintendent Cipriano Querol Jr., Capiz police director, said two witnesses, PO2 Teodorio Lacson and engineer Roque Isiderio, 45, draftsman at the office of the municipal engineer of Mambusao town, came forward and tagged the suspects in the killing of Jan Angelo Dollete, an engineering student of the Capiz State University main campus in Roxas City.

"We have a strong case against the suspects," Querol said.

He said the suspects, if found guilty, face the maximum penalty of reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment.

In his statement last June 11, Lacson, a Mambusao policeman, said he was eating at the RML Manokan Haus in Roxas City last May 4 when he was invited to join the fraternity’s final initiation rites at Steve Honrado’s house in Sitio Busay in the Sapian town proper.

Riding their motorcycles, Lacson and Isiderio, who both belong to the fraternity, proceeded to the place on May 6 where they were introduced to everyone there.

Honrado, Christy’s husband, invited them to have a few rounds of beer, Lacson recalled.

After dinner, Lacson heard singing and the strumming of a guitar inside the house. When he and Isiderio went inside, they were introduced to a certain Dencio and Patricio, the master initiator of the fraternity rites.

The group then proceeded to a hilly area not far from Honrado’s residence, without Lacson and Isiderio.

Christy, however, later asked Lacson and Isiderio to join her in witnessing the initiation rites and the two obliged.

The two saw the neophytes gathering firewood for the bonfire set up by Patricio, who later led the ceremony.

Aside from Dollete, two males and a female neophyte, all wearing diapers, came forward and underwent "four stations" under the fraternity’s Lord Master who barraged them with questions.

Every wrong answer carried a corresponding punishment such as squat thrust, push-up or knee bender. The neophytes were also slapped in the face, their knees butted, paddled and punched.

It was at the height of the punishments that Lacson and Isiderio cautioned Christy that physical contact was against the fraternity’s standard training procedures and asked her to intervene. But their warning was ignored.

While the initiation rites were in progress, Lacson and Isiderio fell asleep at about 10 p.m. Minutes later, Cristy roused Lacson from sleep, asking for his help for Dollete who had collapsed.

The policeman checked Dollete’s pulse rate and asked that he be rushed to the Mambusao General Hospital.

Querol said four frat members brought Dollete to the hospital on board a red owner-type jeep. Lacson and Isiderio escorted them on board their motorcycles.

When Lacson and Isiderio arrived at the hospital at 2 p.m., they were told that Dollete had been declared dead on arrival and those who brought him had left without saying a word.

Querol said the statements of Lacson and Isiderio were corroborated by another witness, Sheila Oadan, 21, who said that Dollete had intimated to her that he was joining the fraternity’s initiation rites.

Dollete named Christy, the owner of the Botica ng Bayan at Inzo Village in Roxas City, as their host.

Querol said they are now identifying the other frat members who were present during the initiation rites so they could be included in the charge sheet.

Querol cited an intelligence report that at least 20 frat members were present during the rites.

He said they are now waiting for the warrants of arrest for the suspects.