Frat men take selfies upon posting bail

After six days in detention, the five students arrested for the fraternity-related violence on the University of the Philippines (UP) campus last week gained provisional liberty on Wednesday.

Identified as members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity, Cheran Cabrito, Rannie Mercado, Rudolf Gene Karlo Neral, Elias Miles Villanueva and Sean Rodriguez were released by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) after posting bail at around P284,000 each for the multiple criminal charges filed against them, including frustrated murder.

The five suspects, aged between 21 and 23, left the QCPD’s Anonas station at 1:15 p.m., according to the station commander, Chief Supt. Richard Fiesta.

The students are charged with frustrated murder and illegal possession of ammunition in the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 80; and malicious mischief and slight physical injuries in the Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC)-Branch 34.

They were released on orders issued on Wednesday by RTC Branch 80 Judge Charito Gonzales and MTC Branch 34 Judge Joel Socrates Lopena.

Receipts issued by the Quezon City RTC clerk of court showed that the suspects paid P200,000 each in connection with the frustrated murder case and P80,000 each in the case for illegal possession of ammunition.

According to Fiesta, they also paid P2,000 each for the malicious mischief case and P2,000 each for the case of slight physical injuries.

The cases stemmed from the complaints of three members of Alpha Sigma fraternity—Jesus Blas Vitangcol, Joevie de la Cruz and Ernesto Luis Martino Pangalangan—who were allegedly assaulted with lead pipes by Upsilon members in two incidents on UP campus on the afternoon of June 18.

Cabrito and company were arrested after the second attack, which targeted Pangalangan. The police are still looking for other suspects who may have acted in conspiracy with the group in staging the first assault, which victimized Dela Cruz and Vitangcol.