Bar caretaker tagged in hazing surrenders

MANILA, Philippines - The caretaker of a bar where a student was beaten, reportedly by members of a sorority, surrendered to the Las Piñas police yesterday, fearing for his life.

Aaron “Popeye” Garcia, a member of Tau Gamma Phi fraternity, told The STAR that hiding became more difficult as the days passed after he was implicated in the hazing of Lyceum of the Philippines University  student Larissa Coleen Alilio, daughter of Lemery, Batangas Mayor Eulalio Alilio.

Garcia, 38, said a frat brother he identified as “Kid” contacted him on Jan. 7 to confirm a reservation at the Beatstop Sports Grill in Barangay Talon Dos in Las Piñas.

The bar is in a house, owned by Ivan Flores, with an abandoned second floor, he added.

Garcia said around 30 people, mostly males, started to arrive at the bar at around 9 a.m.

“I immediately left after all of their members arrived. At 3 p.m., I got a call from Kid, saying their meeting was finished,” he said.

Garcia said he saw the group playing billiards and did not notice anything unusual. He added that it was the third time Kid held a meeting at the bar.

“I really thought it was just a meeting. Until I received a call from another fraternity brother, asking me to go into hiding because my name was linked to the hazing,” he said.

Superintendent Erwin Margarejo of the Manila Police District facilitated Garcia’s turnover to the Las Piñas police as he refused to surrender to police officers he does not know.

Chief Inspector Roman Lanzarote, who heads the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Southern Police District, said yesterday Alilio’s statement has been finalized.

He said Alilio has identified some of the people involved in the hazing from 30 photographs someone had sent her.

Lanzarote said investigators have yet to receive a response from Lyceum on their request to find out if six hazing suspects study in the university.

A source said among the six is Princess Villeza, Alilio’s alleged recruiter. –Mary Pauline Del Rosario and Emmanuel Tupas