Manila cops on guard vs hazing, fraternity wars

06/01/10 - With just two weeks to go before schools open for the School Year 2010 – 2011, police are keeping an eye not only on criminal gangs but also on local fraternities.

Radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo on Tuesday reported that the Manila Police District (MPD) vowed to crack down on fraternities and sororities engaged in hazing and frat wars.

MPD head Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay said they would use the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in school zones in the city to detect such activities.

On the other hand, Magtibay reminded local fraternities their members and officials face stiff penalties of up to life imprisonment if caught performing hazing sessions.

Even fraternity and school officials who allow such initiation rites would be liable, he stressed.

Under Republic Act 8049, life imprisonment awaits participants in the hazing if the “initiation" rite results in death, rape, sodomy or mutilation.

A jail term of up to 20 years awaits participants of hazing rites if the victim shall become insane, imbecile, impotent or blind.

Jail terms of up to 17 years and four months awaits those who participate in a hazing where the victim “shall have lost the use of speech or the power to hear or to smell, or shall have lost an eye, a hand, a foot, an arm or a leg or shall have lost the use of any such member shall have become incapacitated for the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged."

A jail term of up to 14 years and eight months await those who take part in hazing where the victim “shall become deformed or shall have lost any other part of his body, or shall have lost the use thereof, or shall have been ill or incapacitated for the performance on the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged for a period of more than 90 days."

Prison terms of up to 12 years await those involved in hazing where the victim “shall have been ill or incapacitated for the performance on the activity or work in which he was habitually engaged for a period of more than 30 days."

Also, the owner of the place where hazing is conducted shall be liable as an accomplice, when he has actual knowledge of the hazing there but failed to take any action to prevent it.

Likewise liable are parents of fraternity members of officers where the hazing is held, if they knew about it but did not act to prevent it.

Similarly liable are school authorities including faculty members who consent to the hazing or who have actual knowledge of it but failed to take any action to prevent it.

Officers, former officers, or alumni of the organization, group, fraternity or sorority who actually planned the hazing although not present when the acts constituting the hazing were committed shall be liable as principals.

A fraternity or sorority’s adviser who is present when the acts constituting the hazing were committed and failed to take action to prevent the same from occurring shall be liable as principal. — LBG, GMANews.TV