Police to file charges vs APB, SR frat members

The Quezon City police disclosed yesterday criminal charges will be filed in court against both members of the Alpha Phi Beta (APB) and Sigma Rho (SR) fraternities in connection with the killing of civil engineering student Den Daniel Reyes last Feb. 10 inside the University of the Philippines (UP) campus in Quezon City.

As these developed, UP president Francisco Nemenzo Jr. has rejected the appeal of APB and SR officers for the early lifting of a 30-day preventive suspension imposed on them in connection with the incident.

"I am telling them I will not lift the suspension order if they don't cooperate with police authorities," said Nemenzo. "I will do everything within my power to keep it there -- or even extend it for another 30 days to prove that I mean business."

Nemenzo was reportedly incensed by the refusal of APB and SR officers to divulge the names of those involved in the brawl, which killed Reyes, an APB member and injured three Sigma Rhoans, identified as Fulgencio "Bibit" Factoran III, Gil Taway IV and Marshall Rongo.

The APB accused the three Sigma Rhoans of attacking Reyes with bladed weapons. Joel Erestain, APB spokesman, said fraternity lawyers are readying murder charges against the three and two other yet unidentified Sigma Rhoans.

The Sigma Rhoans has denied the allegations, saying they were the ones who were assaulted by two car-loads of hooded men as they were walking back to their fraternity hangout at the UP College of Law fronting the Ipil Residence Hall.

Superintendent Napoleon Castro, chief of the Quezon City Criminal Investigation Division, said homicide charges will be filed today against Sigma Rhoans Factoran, Taway and Rongo.

"The life of a young and promising student was wasted in this nonsense killing. Wherever we look at it, the perpetrators should face the consequences of their actions," Castro said.

Castro added that frustrated homicide charges against those who attacked and wounded Factoran, Taway and Rongo will be filed as soon as they are identified.