POLICE on Thursday brought six members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity to the Department of Justice for inquest proceedings in relation to the death of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig after initiation rites.
The Biñan City police said the fraternity members voluntarily submitted themselves to local authorities on Wednesday night for investigation.
The suspects were identified as Tau Gamma Phi-Adamson chapter members Mark Pedrosa, alias “Macoy,” 29, the owner of the house used in the initiation rites in Barangay Casile, Biñan City; Earl Anthony Romero, 21; Teng Cheng Tung, 22; Jerome Balot, 22; Sandro Victorino, 28, and Michael Lambert Ritalde, 31, tattoo artist.
One of the witnesses had identified the suspects as the ones who subjected Salilig to hazing.
The police have the names of other suspects who are still at large.
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No PAO help
The suspects could expect no help from the Public Attorney’s Office.
PAO chief Persida Acosta said it would be a “conflict of interest” if the PAO would come to the fraternity members’ aid as Salilig’s family and another hazing victim has already asked her office for help.
Lumapit sila sa mga private lawyers. Ang lakas ng loob nilang mambugbog tapos ngayon lalapit sa PAO. Eh nauna yung biktima eh, nauna din yung state witness, bakit natin papayagan na mag PAO vs PAO, conflict yan”
PAO chief Persida Acosta
She also criticized the fraternity members over the incident.
“Ang gagaling nila, fraternity, brotherhood ba ‘yan? Bubugbugin mo ng bonga?” she said in a press briefing.
The suspects should be charged with murder, and not reckless imprudence as had been done in other cases, she said.
In the case of Salilig, there was even an intent to conceal his body, she noted.
“‘Pag may hawak kang dos por dos o kaya sinturon, ipinaghahagupit mo sa isang tao, hindi kapabayaan ‘yun, pagpatay yun. Dapat kaso nila murder, lalo ‘yan ibinaon, inilibing may concealment of the corpus delicti,” she said.
Abolish frats
Acosta also called for the abolition of fraternities in the country because of the hazing deaths.
At the very least, fraternities involved in hazing deaths should have their registrations canceled so that they would not be able to recruit more members, she said.
Salilig’s death
Salilig, a 24-year-old chemical engineering student, died after attending initiation rites of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.
He was initially reported missing until his body was discovered in a shallow grave in Imus.
