7 charged in court for Tau Gamma hazing death

MANILA, Philippines — Seven Tau Gamma Phi fraternity members tagged in the fatal hazing of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig have been charged in court with violating the Anti-Hazing Law of 2018.

Indicted for conspiring and participating in the hazing rites that killed Salilig and injured fellow neophyte Roi Osmond dela Cruz were Earl Anthony Romero, Tung Cheng Teng Jr., Jerome Balot, Sandro Victorino, Michael Lambert Ricalde, Mark Pedrosa and alleged “master initiator” Daniel Perry.

The seven are to face trial after the Department of Justice (DOJ) panel investigating the case found probable cause to indict them based on the statements and evidence it examined.

In the resolution released yesterday, the DOJ panel stated: “All of the above-mentioned respondents planned and actually participated in hazing the recruits by way of paddling. The complainants were likewise able to establish that the injuries sustained by John Matthew Salilig led to his death.”

DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano added that provisions of Republic Act 11053 (Anti-Hazing Law) were used in the case, but that the reclusion perpetua penalty would apply in Salilig’s case, while a lower penalty applies in the case of Dela Cruz.

Under Section 14(a) of the law, the penalty for planning and participating in hazing that leads to death is imprisonment of up to 40 years and a fine of P3 million. If there was no death, Section 14(b)(1) of the same law mandates the same jail time and a lesser fine of P2 million.

Salilig was reported missing last Feb. 20 and found buried in a shallow grave in a grassland in Imus, Cavite on Feb. 28.

A fraternity member led police investigators to his body, starting a well-publicized probe that led to the arrest, surrender or implication of more than a dozen suspects.

Police, who had quoted witnesses as saying that the third year chemical engineering student received at least 70 paddle hits, said the victim died due to severe blunt force trauma to the lower extremities.

Meanwhile, two separate complaints of violation of the Anti-Hazing Law were also filed last Friday against more than a dozen suspects involved in the same hazing rites. One of these cases was filed by the families of Salilig and Dela Cruz.

The other set of complaints of hazing were filed by Alexander Marcelo and Earl Justine Abuda against 19 others implicated or investigated in the Salilig case.

“The cases have yet to be assigned to the handling prosecutors. As a result, the hearing for preliminary investigation has yet to be set,” Clavano said of the two new cases.

Clavano said the two criminal complaints will be filed before the regional trial court in Biñan, Laguna.