Family of student dead in hazing seeks justice

TACURONG CITY—The family of a 16-year-old criminology student at the Notre Dame of Tacurong College here, who died last week from injuries suffered during hazing, on Friday challenged authorities to hunt and arrest the suspects who belong to the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.

Noria Silongan told Inquirer that on Sept. 12, her son Nor went home with the help of friends.

She said her son could not walk and had to be carried but was mum on what happened to him.

Noria said the family immediately brought Nor to the Allah Valley Hospital in Koronadal City where he died on Sept. 15.

She said before her son died, he admitted that he had undergone hazing to become a member of Tau Gamma Phi, a fraternity known for violent initiation rites.

“I kept on asking him but he earlier refused to tell me what happened to him. Then, when he was about to die he decided to tell me everything,” Noria said.

Based on her son’s account, Noria said the family learned that Tau Gamma Phi members brought him to Barangay New Isabela here on Sept. 9.

The hazing allegedly started on that day, with about 20 Tau Gamma Phi members taking turns in beating Nor up.

“He said he attempted to run but one of them grabbed his hair then punched him in the abdomen,” the sobbing mother said.

While Nor was lying helpless on the ground, one of the fraternity members allegedly scooped sand with his bare hands and forced Nor to eat it.

“When he could no longer endure the pain, he decided to quit,” she said.

Noria said the family learned that two other students also underwent hazing on the same day but it was only Nor who suffered massive injuries.

She said the family had filed charges against the suspects—whose identities were being withheld—“not only to seek justice for our son but hopefully to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

“We heard that those involved in the hazing were no longer attending classes at the Notre Dame of Tacurong College. But, we hope that law enforcers could still apprehend them,” Noria said. Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao