LIFE LOST. The body of 25-year-old Aldryn Leary Bravante, a 4th year Criminology student of the Philippine College of Criminology (PCCR) who allegedly died due to hazing. The QCPD said Wednesday (Oct. 18, 2023) said two of the four suspects who are now under police custody admitted their presence during the hazing that led to the death of Bravante on Oct. 16. (Photo courtesy of QCPD)
MANILA – Two of the four suspects under the custody of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) have admitted their presence during the hazing that led to the death of a criminology student on Oct. 16.
“Ang latest ay two doon sa apat natin na nasa kustodiya natin na suspect ay nag-execute ng kanilang extrajudicial confession na umaamin sila na talagang sila ay doon sa nasabing initiation rites at nakikipagtulungan sila sa atin at nakapagbigay sila ng 10 pa na kasamahan nila doon sa initiation kaya madadagdagan yung mafa-file-an natin ng kaso (The latest development is that two of the four suspects under our custody executed an extrajudicial confession admitting that they were there in the initiation rites and they are cooperating with us. They also divulged 10 other persons who were there, so we expect to charge more suspects)," QCPD Director, Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan, said in a radio interview.
Maranan declined to identify the two suspects who executed an extrajudicial confession in the presence of their counsels on Tuesday.
The four suspects – Justin Artates, Kyle Michael de Castro, Lexer Angelo Manarpies, and Mark Leo Andales – are being held for the death of Aldryn Leary Bravante, a 4th-year Criminology student of the Philippine College of Criminology (PCCR).
He added that the suspects would face charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Law of 2018.
Maranan, however, said the initial results of the backtracking of the closed-circuit camera (CCTV) footage at the place of the incident showed that "almost 20 persons" were present during the initiation rites.
He added that they had the CCTV footage enhanced to identify the plate numbers of the motorcycles of those who attended the initiation rites.
"The QCPD leadership also went to PCCR and appealed to all those involved to surrender as the QCPD is determined to search and pursue all those involved in this crime," he added.
Citing the testimony of one of the suspects, Maranan said Bravante got "more or less 60 paddle hits," which indicated that he sustained severe injuries.
Bravante, a resident of Imus, Cavite, was rushed to the hospital by Artates and de Castro on Monday evening after falling unconscious while undergoing the initiation rites of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity in an abandoned building in Quezon City.
A cursory examination showed that the victim had hematoma on both legs and marks of burned cigarettes on his chest and both hands.
Manarpies and Andales surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group's Quezon City Field Unit early Tuesday and were later subjected to investigation.
Extra strong campaign
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday urged school authorities to be extra strong in their anti-hazing campaign as he conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved Bravante family.
Gatchalian said the school has legal obligations to safeguard and protect their students.
He said under the anti-hazing law, schools are mandated not only to protect their students but also to launch informational campaigns at the start of every semester or trimester to students and parents or guardians on the consequences of hazing.
Gatchalian, co-author of the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 (Republic Act No. 11053), said the anti-hazing law prohibits all forms of hazing in fraternities, sororities and organizations in schools, including citizens’ military training and citizens’ army training.
The law, he said, imposes the penalty of reclusion perpetua and a fine of PHP3 million upon those who actually planned or participated in hazing that result in death, rape, sodomy, or mutilation. (with a report from Loenel Abasola/PNA)
