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KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/27 June) -- Police authorities are tracking down several members of a university-based fraternity here following the death of a 19-year-old information technology student from alleged hazing during the group’s initiation rites in nearby Tantangan town early Saturday. Senior Insp. Roberto Callejo, Tantangan police chief, said at least 15 members of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity chapter based at the Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) here are facing criminal charges for the death of NDMU student Mark John Doctora.
Doctora was pronounced dead upon arrival at the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital on Saturday morning reportedly due to internal bleeding that was believed to have been caused by severe beating.
A fraternity member identified as Darryl Marcos, told hospital personnel that Doctora suddenly collapsed while resting following the group’s initiation rites held at a farm in Barangay Tinongcop in Tantangan.
Callejo said the 18-year-old Marcos, who is now in the custody of the Tantangan police, allegedly admitted having participated in the beating of Doctora and named at least 15 other members of the group as directly involved in the incident.
He said among those allegedly involved in the hazing were the fraternity’s president Jerry Aguilar, master initiator Jun Basia, members Solomon Quiñez, Jefferson Vergara, Abe Jay Bilas, Roy Lachica, Jaime Arcellana, John Rey Bumahag, Alwin dela Rosa, Ryan Liboon and aliases Puloy, Philip, Sonny Boy, Arci and Abing.
As of this morning, the NDMU academic affairs office identified only Marcos, Aguilar and Doctora as students of the university.
“We already located their addresses but we could no longer locate any of them as of the moment so we have started to alert other police units for their possible presence,” Callejo said.
He said they initially coordinated with the families of the students to voluntarily submit them for investigation but not one has so far surfaced.
Callejo said there is no manhunt as yet against the students allegedly involved in the hazing incident because no charges have been filed against them as of today.
He said the victim’s family went to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) last Monday to request an autopsy on the victim.
Police Officer I Bobby Tugas, case investigator, told MindaNews that they have solid evidences to prove the direct involvement of the 15 students in the fatal hazing of Doctora.
Aside from the statements of Marcos, who reportedly agreed to act as a state witness, there were other witnesses who could confirm their involvement.
Tugas said among their witnesses was a caretaker of the Aguilar family who initially confirmed that his employer’s son, Jerry, and members of the fraternity held an “activity” at the farm last Friday evening.
“We have secured these testimonies and other vital evidences in preparation for the filing of charges, specifically for violation of the anti-hazing law,” he said.
Republic Act 8049, an act regulating hazing and other forms of initiation rites in fraternities, sororities and organizations, penalizes violators with reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment in cases of death due to hazing.
Tugas clarified that not all those named to have participated in the hazing were NDMU students. He said some of those involved were reportedly alumni members of the group and some are students of the Doctor’s Clinic and Hospital Nursing School. The fraternity, however, is based in the NDMU campus.
Lydia, the victim’s grandmother, said in an interview over Radio Mindanao Network here that they would pursue all necessary means to give justice to her grandson, who grew up under her care as both his parents were working abroad.
An only child, what happened to Mark John is “like losing everything that we have. We felt like we also died with him.”
The elder Doctora added that his grandson was a victim of brutal killing. She said his body turned black and blue from heavy beating and that he had marksof fatal blows on the head and body. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)
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=== 19-year old student dies from hazing; 15 frat members implicated ===
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