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Saturday, July 05, 2008
Soldier, 5 others sued for beating boy in hazing
DAVAO CITY -- The City Prosecutor’s Office charged a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and five others for slapping and hitting their 17-year-old neighbor with a wooden paddle during a fraternity initiation at Panacan, Davao City in August last year.
Charged in violation of Republic Act 8049, otherwise known as the Anti-Hazing Law, were Roldan Nudalo of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, John Cortez, Nonoy Romero, Cocoy Alfardo, and two minors, all residents of Panacan, Davao City.
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Chief city prosecutor Raul B. Bendigo approved the resolution penned by Prosecutor Mariam April Mastura for finding probable cause to hold the military man for court trial based on the complaint of the victim.
In an affidavit, the victim said he knows the suspects because they were his neighbors, and that sometime in July 2007, Cortez, who introduced himself as a grandmaster of Omega Pelta Kappa, invited him to join their fraternity. Cortez told the victim that the title of grandmaster would be turned over to him after he gets 20 hits from a paddle to serve as his initiation.
He said that around 3 p.m. on August 31, 2007, he went to the house of Cortez, a walking distance from their house, where he was welcomed and asked if he was "ready".
When he said yes, one of the minors went out to fetch Romero who ordered him to read and memorize words written in a notebook. While reading, he said, he was warned that he can no longer quit. After being told that, the group blindfolded him with a black scarf and he was slapped once while he was still seated.
He was then ordered to stand as a voice shouted, "In the name of Omega Pelta Kappa, I baptize you Kokey!"
That was when the paddling started. Eighteen times he was paddled while made to shout "I love OPK" after every beating.
He saw the men when they removed his blindfold. He said Alfaro and Nudalo hit him again and warned him against reporting the incident to his parents and the authorities.
His mother, however, discovered that he joined the fraternity last September 5, 2007, and filed a complaint with the Sasa police.
Mastura recommended bailbond of P16,000 for each of the respondent. (Rhodamae M. Hernandez/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (July 5, 2008 issue)
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