Grade 10 student dies in hazing

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police are investigating the alleged hazing that killed a Grade 10 student in San Enrique, Negros Occidental last week.

Police Lieutenant Sammy Gasataya, deputy police chief of San Enrique Municipal Police Station, said the 18-year-old victim, whose name was withheld, died on September 9 after he told his parents about the initiation of a fraternity he joined.

Gasataya said the parents only reported the incident to the police on September 11.

The victim was recruited to join a fraternity in March this year, but because he was still a minor that time, he did not undergo initiation.

But when the victim turned 18 on September 3, three male teenager-members of the fraternity went to his house to invite him again to join the group.

Gasataya said they had a drinking session and later left the house to allegedly hold the initiation rites on the victim as the new member of their group.

Based on the statement of the victim to his parents, the three suspects, whose names were also withheld, were allegedly behind the hazing, wherein they reportedly paddled the victim on September 4.

The victim went home that day with lame legs, but his parents ignored him, assuming that it was just a minor injury.

On September 8, the victim had fever, but his family applied warm compress on him, until he felt severely ill the following day and died.

Gasataya said that the postmortem examination result of the victim showed hematoma on his buttocks.

Gasataya said the paddle was recovered from the house of one of the alleged suspects.

The three suspects denied the allegations against them during the investigation, but police will continue to gather more information.