MANILA, Philippines—The family of San Beda law student Marvin Reglos who died from injuries sustained in a fraternity initiation ritual wants the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation to stay out of the investigation and leave the job to the Antipolo police.
“We will write to (Justice) Secretary Leila de Lima and the NBI and ask them not to muddle the police’s evidence and just let the police take the lead,” Dennis Pangan, counsel of the Reglos’ family, told the Inquirer on the telephone on Friday.
Earlier, NBI Death Investigation Division executive officer Danielito Lalusis said the hazing rites, which led to the death of Reglos, a freshman law student at San Beda, on February 19, were held elsewhere, not at Guillean’s Place in Antipolo City, as the police had earlier claimed.
He said that another fraternity—not the Lambda Rho Beta, which Reglos was trying to join—was staying at the resort when the alleged hazing occurred.
This finding was based on an NBI investigation after Christian Adobo, who was among several persons charged by the police with murder in connection with Reglos’ death, told the police that he was neither a member of Lambda Rho nor a San Beda student.
Adobo said that he was a member of Gamma Delta Epsilon and a University of Santo Tomas student and that he had rented the resort from 10 p.m. on February 18 until 7 a.m. the following day for the fraternity’s 64th anniversary celebration.
Despite the NBI’s claims, Pangan said, the family of Reglos was convinced of the police’s “painstaking work” which had resulted in the arrest of two fraternity members, Eric Castillo and Bodjie Yap, and the filing of charges against 16 others.
“The NBI’s statement makes it clear to us that the defense has begun preparing their evidence. But the evidence presented to us by the police is so strong,” he said.
He added that “the NBI may not be aware but they were being used by the Lambda Rho Beta Fraternity.”
He also questioned the credibility of the suspect Adobo. “Adobo is one the accused. Of course, he would not give any information that will be used against him,” Pangan said.
In a phone interview, Marvin’s sister Lorvie said they have full trust in the Antipolo police.
“Instead na tumulong ang NBI, ginugulo nila ang ang investigation (Instead of helping, the NBI is messing up the investigation),” Lorvie said.
Lorvie said she was able to talk to one of the witnesses, the security guard of Guillean’s Place in Barangay San Roque, Antipolo City, who provided a detailed account of what happened from the time the fraternity members entered the resort up to the moment Reglos, bruised all over, was seen limping and being escorted out of the resort.
“He (security guard) wouldn’t put his life and his name at stake if he was not telling the truth,” Lorvie said.
“My brother is already dead. We appeal to the DOJ and NBI to please not to bury and kill him once again. We only want justice,” she added.