3 PMA cadets found guilty of murder, hazing in Dormitorio case

BAGUIO CITY — Baguio City Regional Trial Court branch 5 found three former cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) guilty over the death of Darwin Dormitorio in 2019.

Judge Ligaya Itliong-Rivera found Shalimar Imperial, Julius Tadena, and Felix Lumbag Jr. guilty beyond reasonable doubt of murder and hazing, sentencing them to reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years of imprisonment.

Dormitorio, from Cagayan de Oro and a member of the PMA Madasigon class of 2023, died at the PMA Hospital on Sept. 18, 2019, a day after he was diagnosed with urinary tract infection.

The 20-year-old Dormitorio died inside the barracks of the cadets inside the PMA at Fort del Pilar, after he was found unconscious in a room at the PMA’s Mayo Hall.

He was said to have been beaten because he lost a pair of boots of a senior cadet.

According to the autopsy results, Dormitorio died due to blunt force trauma and based on investigations, he was a victim of hazing and other kinds of maltreatment.

The Dormitorio family’s legal counsel, lawyer Jose Adrian Bonifacio lauded the court ruling.

“All the hard work and sacrifices after 5 years were all worth it," he said.

"We dedicate the (victory) to  Darwin and his father, retired Col. William Dormitorio, who has died before the release of the decision," the lawyer added. 

“I pray that Darwin and his father will finally have peace," he also said.

The cadets shall also compensate the heirs of Dormitorio P75,000 indemnity, another P75,000 as moral damages and P25,000 as temporal damages.  They are also asked to pay P100,000 for attorney’s fee.

Tadena was also asked to pay P2 million as indemnity.

Earlier in August 2023, Tadena and another cadet Christian Zacarias were convicted for slight physical injuries by the Baguio Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 1. Other co-accused former PMA Station Hospital chief Lt. Col. Ceasar Candelaria and medical officers Captain Flor Apple Apostol and Major Maria Ofelia Beloy were absolved from the charge of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.

The Dormitorio kin filed hazing, torture and murder against former First Class Cadet Axl Rey Sanupao, 2nd Class Cadet Zacarias, and 3rd Class Cadets Rey David John Volante,  Tadena, John Vincent Manalo, Lumbag and Imperial.

The Baguio Prosecutor’s Office in June 2020 dropped the hazing, torture and for dereliction of duty charges against former PMA chief Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista and former commandant of cadets Brig. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro.