MANILA, Philippines —The Public Attorney's Office on Thursday called attention to another death attributed to hazing, allegedly involving the same fraternity linked to that of an Adamson University whose body was found in Imus, Cavite this week.
PAO chief Persida Acosta, in a streamed briefing, said Leny Baguio sought help from her office after her son Ronnel, a 20-year-old Marine Engineering student of the University of Cebu, died allegedly due to hazing in December 2022.
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A PAO lawyer said that the hazing, said to be done by Tau Gamma Phi, happened on Dec. 10, 2022. Ronnel complained of dizziness, vomiting with blood and shortness of breath on December 18 to his mother.
Leny flew to Cebu from Bataan the day later, but her son has already died.
“His legs were full of wounds… One of his feet were swollen,” Leny said in Filipino.
The same fraternity is tagged in the alleged fatal hazing of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig whose lifeless and bruised body was found in Cavite.
According to Leny, they sought financial assistance from the University of Cebu but it declined their request, as it stated that they do not sanction fraternities in their school and the alleged hazing happened outside the university.
Acosta said that a complaint-affidavit has already been prepared but they are still waiting for authentication of messages from Ronel’s phone, and potential testimonies of other neophytes of the fraternity.
Leny called on the regional police of Cebu to cooperate in the investigation so her son’s case will roll as fast as Salilig’s case, where at least six persons of interest are already in the custody of the authorities days after the latter’s body was discovered.
The Commission on Human Rights and the National Bureau of Investigation are conducting separate probes into the death of Salilig.
News5 meanwhile reported that a number of persons of interest in the said case have arrived at the Department of Justice on Thursday.