Shocked Negrenses vow to pursue justice for hazing victim Servando

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—Negrenses are angry over the hazing death of Guillo Cesar Servando, 18, a sophomore student of the De la Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

The CCTV footage at the 29th floor of the One Archer’s Place shows this man talking to the phone while two others are dragging Guillo Cesar Servando along the hallway next to the elevator. The man, according to the Manila Police District, is one of the 2-3 persons being investigated after they were seen on the CCTV footage escorting the four victims to the condominium after the alleged hazing rites on Saturday evening. SCREENGRAB from CCTV footage

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon on Tuesday called for a total ban on fraternities, a stop to hazing and the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the death of Servando.

“What kind of brotherhood hurts its own brothers?” the governor asked.

“They threatened to kill him if he quits,” the companions of Guillo told Aurelio Cesar “Taboy” Servando, the victim’s father, a human rights advocate and a businessman from Bacolod.

Servando told the Inquirer his son wanted to back out from the fraternity initiation, but was threatened with death.

Servando is calling for justice for his son and for an end to hazing.

Bacolod Rep. Evelio Leonardia called the death of the 18-year-old “shocking and senseless.”

“So many of these cases have shaken us before but this time it is personal to us in Bacolod,” Leonardia said.

Leonardia, who condoled with the father and the Servando family, said this practice of hazing must be stopped.

He has asked his legal team to review existing laws against such activity and on the regulation of fraternities to see how they could be further strengthened, Leonardia said.

Taboy Servando said his son, who now lies in state at La Salle Greenhills, died from traumatic injuries. The Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management sophomore was hit with a paddle on his lower legs and back and that might have affected his kidneys, the father said.

The father said he had warned his son not to join fraternities and was surprised to find out that he did on Saturday.

There were no indications that he had joined a frat, although there were changes in Guillo’s behavior, Taboy Servando said. The student appeared to be aloof and extremely busy, the father said.

His son was set to go to Korea on July 17 as part of a requirement in his course.

Guillo was a health buff and had wanted to set up a body -building gym where he could serve healthy food, Taboy Servando said.

The father expressed hope for the immediate arrest of the people responsible for his son’s death. But he said if justice was not possible in his lifetime, he knew God would grant justice in His own time.

Taboy Servando wondered how people responsible for his son’s death could sleep at night.

Vice President Jejomar Binay had offered security to his family but he said that for as long as they were in the Greenhills Chapel, they were safe.