DOJ forms 3-man panel to probe hazing case

MANILA, Philippines–The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday named a three-member panel of prosecutors to conduct the preliminary investigation into the fatal hazing of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde student Guillo Cesar Servando.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, head of the DOJ-National Prosecution Services, appointed State Prosecutors Stewart Allan Mariano, Arnold Magpantay and Alejandro Daguiso as panel members.

They will be hearing the case of violation of Republic Act No. 8049, or the 1995 Anti-Hazing Act, filed against 20 suspects, mostly members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.

Servando’s father, Aurelio, and the National Bureau of Investigation are the complainants in the case.

The DOJ earlier issued a lookout bulletin order to let the Bureau of Immigration (BI) monitor the movements of the 20 suspects, four of whom were eventually discovered to have fled from the country after the hazing incident on June 28 that led to Servando’s death.

The BI said that aside from John Kevin Navoa who went to the United States on July 1, three more suspects had also left Manila: Esmerson Nathaniel Calupas, Hans Killian Tatlonghari and Eleazar Pablico.

The other suspects were identified as Cody Errol Morales, Daniel Paul Martin Bautista, Kurt Michael Almazan, Luis Solomon Arevalo, Carl Francis Loresca, Jomar Pajarito, Vic Angelo Dy, Mark Andrew Ramos, Michael David Castaneda, Steven Jorge Penano, Justin Francis Reyes, Ma. Teresa Dayanghirang, Alyssa Federique Valbuena, a certain Kiko, one alias Bea and a Jane Doe.

Two of the fraternity members surrendered last week, both of whom have been provisionally admitted to the government’s witness protection program.