Police said Thursday two more upperclassmen at the Philippine Military Academy have been identified as suspects in the hazing death of cadet Darwin Dormitorio.
READ: ‘Hazing killers of PMA cadet must be held liable’
Their identities, however, have not been released pending sworn statements from witnesses, police said.
Dormitorio, 20, died last week after complaining of stomach pain. Police said he suffered internal injuries consistent with hazing.
They earlier identified 3rd class Shalimar Imperial, 3rd class Felix Lumbag, and 1st class Axl Rey Sanupao as suspects.
Police said one of the new suspects turned in a taser that they allegedly used on Dormitorio’s private parts.
Two congressmen on Thursday called for random and surprise medical and physical check-ups of plebes and trainees of military and police institutions to help end hazing.
At a news forum, House Deputy Majority Leader Bernadette Herrera of Bagong Henerasyon Party-list group and Rep. Michael Edgar Aglipay of DIWA Party-list group said what happened to Dormitorio could have been prevented.
“A random and surprise medical check-up on plebes at the PMA and PNPA [Philippine National Police Academy] can be an effective means of stopping hazing,” Herrera said.
Herrera, one of the principal authors of the amended Republic Act 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law, also asked the Department of National Defense to enumerate the physical, psychological and mental methods of training would-be military officers that should be exempted from the provisions of the Anti-Hazing law.
She said there are “extraordinary” training methods that the law does not define as form of hazing.
