Hazing death suspects offer money to victim’s kin

The families of the suspects in the hazing death of Marvin Reglos have made a monetary offer to the victim’s family in the hopes of reaching a settlement in the civil aspect of the case.

This was confirmed by the victim’s mother, Myrna, who said that she was “very positive” that a settlement would be reached very soon.

When contacted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Myrna was at the wake of her 92-year-old mother in Isabela province.

She said that since negotiations started last October, she had met with the families of the suspects in her son’s hazing death at least three times.

Although she said that she did not ask for a specific amount since she “could not put a price tag on the life of (her) son,” she said the other camp earlier proposed a settlement of “less than P10 million.”

“It’s too low. The amount should not be less than P10 million,” she told the Inquirer.

In the most recent meeting held last December, Myrna said the other camp had promised to “pool their resources together.”

Their next meeting is in March, she added.

Hearings for the criminal aspect of the case, on the other hand, are still ongoing.

The most recent hearing was held on Dec. 18 with the next one set in the last week of March this year.

According to Myrna, if a settlement should be reached before that date, her family would no longer attend the hearing or the subsequent ones.

She clarified, however, that although a settlement has not yet been reached, she, her husband Lucito and daughter Lorvie have “already forgiven” all the men believed to have had a hand in Marvin’s death.

“It is very difficult if you do not forgive,” she said.

The lawyer of the Reglos family, meanwhile, told the Inquirer that the negotiations to settle the civil aspect of the case were expected to be completed soon.

“I can foresee (a settlement) before the Holy Week,” Dennis Pangan said in a phone interview.

Pangan sometimes attends the meetings between Myrna and the other camp composed of the suspects and their

parents.

Marvin, then a San Beda law freshman, was declared dead on arrival at a hospital due to injuries reportedly sustained from hazing rites  in an Antipolo resort.

Several individuals affiliated with the Lambda Rho Beta fraternity were subsequently charged with murder under the Anti-Hazing law.

Warrants of arrest, however, have yet to be issued against seven suspects—Kevin Mendoza, Norman Espinoza, Marco Antonio Ampil, Kelvin Brian Pe, Israel Velasco Cruz, Rejomel Christian Japa Adobo and Margrien Archenar Gregaña.

The only two suspects arrested in connection with Marvin’s death—Bojhee Yap and Erick Castillo—were allowed to post bail by Antipolo Regional Trial Court Branch 97 Judge Miguel Asuncion in February 2013.

Asuncion had explained then that the prosecution failed to establish that Marvin died as a result of hazing in the first place.