Two senators condemned in the strongest possible terms the latest hazing-related death of an 18-year-old student in Nueva Ecija, calling for swift justice and the eradication of this “barbaric practice” among school fraternities in the country.
Former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri found it “heartbreaking” to learn that another young man has fallen victim to the “brutality of hazing” at a time when a Manila court announced its guilty verdict on the suspects involved in the Horatio Castillo case.
“We can no longer tolerate and protect these fraternities that couch their violence and abuse in the guise of brotherhood. We need to put these suspects behind bars and show these fraternities that their days of violence are over,” Zubiri said in a statement.
Castillo was a law student from the University of Santo Tomas, who died after participating in the hazing ceremony of Aegis Juris fraternity. At least 10 of his so-called “brothers” were held accountable by the court for his death.
The latest victim was identified as Ren Joseph Bayan, a Grade 11 student of San Pablo National High School in Jaen, Nueva Ecija. At least six people are being investigated by the authorities regarding his death, according to reports.
“There is no excuse for this kind of barbarism, and those who take part in these deadly rites must be brought to justice immediately. It is infuriating that we still lose young lives to hazing despite the legal safeguards already in place,” Zubiri said.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian echoed the same sentiments. While he welcomed the recent guilty verdict for the 10 Aegis Juris fratmen, calling it a “victory for the rule of law,” he lamented that hazing deaths continue, with 17 cases reported from 2014 to 2024.
Gatchalian said that despite the Anti-Hazing Act, it is tragic that lives are still lost to this brutality. He called for an end to the culture of violence, noting that the road to justice for the victims and their families are always “long and challenging.”
“Alongside the pursuit of justice for other hazing victims, we must also ensure that our institutions, including schools and law enforcement agencies, work diligently to eliminate hazing,” the senator underscored.
Both senators called for stronger enforcement of the law, urging authorities to swiftly bring Bayan’s perpetrators to justice. Their statements come amid renewed calls for stricter measures against hazing-related violence.
“Hazing has no reason and no place to exist in our society. It is a crime, plain and simple. Those who participate in or enable such murderous criminal acts must face the full force of the law,” said Zubiri, who authored and sponsored the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018.
