Government urged to strictly enforce anti-hazing law

MANILA, Philippines - As the latest hazing victim Mark Andre Marcos was laid to rest yesterday in Tarlac province, overseas Filipino workers condemned the hazing incident and urged the government to strictly enforce the anti-hazing law.

“It’s unfortunate that fraternities still practice the barbaric hazing continue to ruin and kill,” Migrante said in a statement.

John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said many OFW parents are now fearful for the lives of their children who are studying in various colleges and universities in the country.

Marcos, a freshmen law student in San Beda College, was a son of OFW parents while the parents of Ryan Maranan and Ed Lara who are among the six neophytes of Lex Leonum Fraternitas are also working abroad.

The mother of Marvin Reglos, who died of hazing early this year, was also an OFW.

Migrante members called on President Aquino to strictly implement the anti-hazing law. “P-Noy as the country’s chief executive is vested with executive power to strictly implement the law,” they said.

Instead of joining fraternities, Migrante said law students should just opt to help their group in handling cases of OFWs.

“OFW parents would be more than happy to see their sons and daughters while taking up law to be working with us handling pro bono cases involving OFWs such as writing pleadings, drafting case briefs and assisting victims to execute affidavits, accompanying and guiding victims to appear in NLRC (National Labor Relations Commission), POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration), OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration), during case hearings,” Monterona said.

Meanwhile, Marcos was buried shortly before 11 a.m. yesterday at the Poblacion Memorial Park in Ramos, Tarlac.

Friends, schoolmates, relatives and townsfolk who attended the two-hour Mass and funeral were mostly clad in white T-shirts with the printed message “Justice for Andrei Marcos” while banners and streamers were hung around the boundary of Gerona and Ramos towns in Tarlac.

Marcos’ father Mac Ferdie said now that he was laid to rest, the family would file appropriate charges against those on the list which San Beda officials gave them.

He added that they would also seek a hold departure order for those believed to be responsible for Marcos’ untimely death.

Although the elder Marcos admitted that life must go on for their family, he vowed that his son’s case would not be buried with him. The Marcos family is also advocating against hazing and violence in schools.

He likewise called on those who are involved in the case and are still in hiding to surrender themselves to the police.

Chief Superintendent James Melad, Calabarzon police director, said an intelligence team was sent to trace the whereabouts of the prime suspect, Gian Angelo Veluz, 27, after he failed to surrender last Friday.

Melad said witnesses, including a security guard, two farm caretakers, and two other neophytes, have linked Veluz to the fatal hazing.

Melad told The STAR that law students Ephraim Daniel Lara and Christopher Ryan Maranan, both victims of the fraternity hazing, have surfaced and given their sworn statements.

However, Melad said they were not willing to stand either as witnesses or complainants, although he remains optimistic that the two would change their mind.

– With Ed Amoroso, Ric Sapnu