Gatchalian denounces death of student due to hazing in Zamboanga City

On Wednesday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian condemned the death of a senior high school student who died of hazing during a fraternity initiation rite in Zamboanga City.

“It is even more appalling that this cruel and barbaric act should take place in the middle of a pandemic. I denounce in the strongest terms this heinous act that prematurely ended the dreams of a young man and his family,” Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on basic education, said.

Joselito F. Enviado, a 21-year-old resident of Sarangani Drive, Barangay San Jose Guzu in this city, is a Grade 12 student of the Zamboanga City National High School West.

The high school student died at the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC), where he was taken after he collapsed during Tau Gamma Phi (TGP) fraternity Trigusu Chapter’s initiation rites.

Enviado was declared dead-on-arrival at ZCMC.

Police Region Office-Zamboanga Peninsula Director Brig. Gen. Jesus D. Cambay Jr. said Enviado was among the six neophytes who underwent hazing at around 10 am Sunday. The hazing happened at the residence of a TGP member located in Barangay San Jose Guzu.

Cambay said the student fainted as he was being beaten with a paddle during the fraternity’s initiation rites.

Senior high student dies of hazing

Police said at least nine officers and members of the TGP-Trigusu chapter were arrested, while a brown paddle used in the initiation rites was also confiscated from the group.
Four other fraternity members, who were also there during the initiation, have surrendered to the Zamboanga City Police Office.
The suspects were identified as Reymark Paler, 27; Wendell Cartalaba, 23: Ruvec Cartalaba, 20; and Joseph Villarez, 35. All of them are residents of Doña Martha drive, Barangay San Jose Gusu.

 

“The filing of charges against these fratmen for violation of Republic Act No.11053 or the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 should be a stern warning,” Gatchalian said.

“Because the hazing incident resulted in someone’s death, the penalty of reclusion perpetua and a fine of three million pesos are now hanging on the heads of these fraternity members,” he added.

The Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 considered hazing as paddling, whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of food, liquor, beverage, drug, and other substance, as well as any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity which would likely adverse the physical and psychological health.