17 hazing suspects put under close watch by immigration bureau

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday ordered the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to place in its lookout bulletin 17 individuals believed to be involved in the initiation rites that led to the death of a sophomore college student.

Included in the lookout bulletin order (LBO) were Cody Errol Morales, Daniel Paul Martin Bautista, Kurt Michael Almazan, Luis Arevalo, Carl Francis Loresca, Esmerson Nathaniel Calupas, Hans Killian Tatlonghari, Jomar Pajarito, Eleazar Pablico III and John Kevin Navoa, who left the country on July 1.

Vic Angelo Dy, Mark Ramos, Mike Castañeda, Tessa Dayanghirang, Yssa Valbuena, alias “Rey Jay” and alias “Kiko” are also part of the suspect list included in the LBO.

An LBO does not stop an individual from leaving the country since it is merely a notice to authorities that he is attempting to depart.

De Lima said the “gravity” of the charge and Navoa’s departure pushed her to issue the LBO as it is “not unlikely” that other suspects behind the death of Guillo Cesar Servando, a student of the College of St. Benilde, will attempt to leave the Philippines to evade investigation and trial.

“It, thus, behooves this department, upon the request of the director of the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order against the said individuals in order that their movements may be monitored during the pendency of investigation,” she said.

Servando died on June 28 after sustaining multiple injuries from the initiation rites conducted by the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.