Police: Hazing victim’s family has not returned to Cebu for case filing

THE Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) admitted that it has not filed a case yet against the persons responsible for the hazing-related death of a University of Cebu (UC) student as the victim’s family has not returned to Cebu.

The family of the victim, Ronnel Masamoc Baguio, 20, a second year Marine Engineering student of UC-Maritime Education and Training Center (METC), is from Mariveles, Bataan. Baguio died in December 2022 after undergoing initiation rites of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.

CCPO chief Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog said the case was not also filed in court as the witness went home to Negros Oriental.

Dalogdog said the police are hoping that the witness will be able to testify so charges for murder and violation of the Anti-Hazing Law will be filed in court against the persons responsible.

The CCPO chief has refused to name one of the suspects, but he said this person was the one who encouraged Baguio to join the fraternity.

The initiation rites happened on December 10, 2022, but it was halted as Baguio and a batchmate lost consciousness.

Mambaling Police Station chief Police Major Jonathan Bethooven Taneo said that according to the witness, they could not count how many times they were paddled as they were also blindfolded during the initiation rites.

"Mao to ang estorya sa witness sir nga all the time, naka blindfold sila. Pag sige nang bunal, nakuyapan silang diha ni Baguio, kining biktima, mao to giundang ang initiation," said Taneo.

(The witness said that they were blindfolded. While the hazing happened, he and Baguio lost consciousness so the initiation was stopped.)

Baguio and other neophyte were then assisted by other members of the fraternity and allowed to rest. They were then told to go home.

Taneo said Baguio might have not told his parents what happened as he was afraid, and he was rushed to a hospital after the hazing.

It was only on December 17 when Baguio informed his mother that he had difficulty breathing. He was brought to the hospital on December 18, and died on December 19.

It was the hospital management that called the Mambaling Police Station 11 to inform police that a man died from hazing.

The police conducted an investigation to identify what happened, said Dalogdog.

Based on the medico legal report, Baguio died due to “severe acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to indirect lung injury.”

The victim’s mother, Leny, flew from Bataan to Cebu immediately after receiving a report about Baguio’s condition, but she was not able to see her son alive.

The victim’s body was brought to Bataan, where Baguio was buried.

More than two months after Baguio’s death, his family asked for the help of Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta as they wanted the investigation to progress.

Dalogdog said though that they are just waiting for the witness from Negros Oriental to cooperate and testify for the case to be filed in court.

“Atong nakahinabi ang atong chief of police sa Station 11. Nag-coordinate na sila sa Public Attorney’s Office para sa pag file og charges against the suspect unya nahitabo lang nga medyo nag lisod ta kay ang witness taga Negros Oriental, nya kining mama niya taga Bataan, so mao na nga medyo layo man distansya pero for filing na ni siya, ang ato na lang gihulat ang witness nga taga Negros,” said Dalogdog.

(We were able to talk to the chief of Police Station 11. The family coordinated with the Public Attorney’s Office for the filing of charges against the suspect, but we had difficulty filing it because the witness is in Negros Oriental and the mother is in Bataan. The case is ready for filing, but we are waiting for the witness.)

He added that they might fetch the witness in Negros Oriental and bring him to Cebu for the filing of charges.

The witness, he added, was with Baguio when the initiation rites happened in December. (AYB/LMY)