Mom finds telltale letter in hazing victim’s book

MANILA, Philippines – It was as though hazing victim Marvin Reglos wanted to help his family know who were responsible for his death, his sister Lorvie said Friday.

While cleaning Marvin’s apartment in Manila on March 29, Marvin’s mother Myrna found a letter kept in between the pages of a book and the name Lambda Rho Beta Fraternity caught her attention, Lorvie said in a phone interview.

The letter, addressed to the alleged leader of the fraternity, Eduardo Escobal, will be presented in court as evidence against officers and members of the Lambda Beta Rho fraternity.

“It was meant to prove that Lambda Rho Beta exists and my brother was trying to be part of it,” Lorvie said.

In a one-page letter signed by a certain Redmil Villamar who, according to Lorvie, was a classmate of Marvin, Villamar was informing Escobal of his withdrawal from being a neophyte of the fraternity.

“My parents learned of my affiliation and abruptly instructed me that I should pack all my things and that I am to go home back to my province and abandon my dreams of a successful law career,” the letter said.

For a moment, Lorvie said her mother had wished it was Marvin writing the letter so the hazing that had killed him would have never happened.

Marvin, a San Beda law student, died from injuries sustained in a fraternity hazing rite at a resort in Antipolo City on February 19. Two students, Bodjie Bobby Yap and Eric Castillo, were arrested and are now detained at the Rizal provincial jail while 16 others who are at large have been charged with murder under the anti-hazing law.

She said they would show the letter during the trial of Yap and Castillo at the Antipolo Regional Trial Court Branch 97 of Judge Miguel Asuncion on April 24.

“We are happy with the pace of the case. We just hope the other 16 accused will be arrested soon,” Lorvie said.

The case against Escobal and the others is still undergoing preliminary investigation at the Antipolo prosecutor’s office.