Marc Andre Marcos. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARCOS FAMILY
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — The family of hazing victim Marc Andre Marcos have formally brought charges against 39 people they are holding responsible for the fraternity initiation rites that led to Marcos’ death in a hospital in Cavite on July 30.
Marcos’ father, Mac Ferdie, his brother and four other relatives filed an amended complaint with the prosecutor’s office in Dasmariñas, Cavite, on Wednesday, lawyer Mariemeir Marcos-Rivera, said on Thursday.
The complaint amended an earlier one filed by the Cavite police on Aug. 1 for violations of the Anti-Hazing Law against Gian Angelo Veluz, a fraternity member, and Soledad Sanda and Marlyn Guadayo, who work as cooks in the Veluz family farm in Dasmariñas where the hazing of Marcos by Lex Leonum Fraternity members reportedly took place.
Also charged in the amended complaint were Veluz’s parents, Angelito and Violeta Veluz.
The two hazing victims, Ryan Christopher Maranan and Ephraim Danie “Ed” Lara who voluntarily went to the police on Aug. 3 but refused to stand as witnesses, were also charged, said Dasmariñas police chief, Supt. Ulysses Cruz.
The Cavite police director, Senior Supt. John Bulalacao, said the Marcos family decided to include Maranan and Lara on the list of respondents, hoping this would compel them to become state witnesses.
The 32 other respondents, who were either students or alumni of the San Beda College in Alabang and Mendiola, were: Emmanuel Santiago, Lorenzo Marvin Reyes, Manuel Adrian Cabansag, Enrico Lopez, Daniel Baltazar, Jan Marcel Ragaza, John Ray Rivera, Jason Esguerra, Reynaldo Dalisay, Erich Justine Alano, Julius Arsenio Alcancia, Chino Daniel Amante, David Anthony Aranas, Rem Cabangon, Dexter Circa, Aardan Mikhail dela Cruz, Rom-raison Go, Ralph Juico, Eryl Royce Nagtalon, Michael Jethro Opelanio, Kenneth Rafols, Richard Rosales, Vyron Samson, Idony Tan, Jenno Antonio Villanueva, Alloysius Yebra, Albert Robert David, Bjone Carlo Favorito, Glenbelle Granado, John Cromwell Recto, Mohammad Fyzee Alim and Cornelio Marcelo.
According to Cruz, the names of the respondents came up through an anonymous letter that the police and the victim’s family had received. The same people were also named by witnesses who saw them at a bar in Las Piñas the night before the group went to the Cavite farm.
“School (records later) confirmed that they were indeed members of the Lex Leonum Fraternity. In fact, we already have their profile pictures,” Bulalacao said.