Dormitorio camp preparing airtight case vs cadet killers

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The family of Fourth Class Cadet Darwin Dormitorio wants an airtight case against those responsible for his death.

Dormitorio’s older brother Dexter arrived in this city on Thursday morning to meet with Baguio City police officials. He was accompanied by lawyer Jose Adrian Bonifacio.

“We are studying the case carefully before filing it. We do not want a weak case,” Dexter said.

“We do want to seek justice for my brother. But we also want to preserve the reputation of the institution,” he added, referring to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

 Bonifacio said they are consolidating the details of the case to ensure that they would not lose due to technicalities.

He said Darwin’s journal might be used as evidence against the suspects.

Col. Allen Rae Co, city police chief, said murder aside from violation of the Anti-Hazing Law might be filed against seven cadets and two medical personnel of the PMA.

The suspects were identified as First Class Cadet Axl Rey Sanupao, Second Class Cadet Christian Zacarias and Third Class Cadets Rey David Volante, Julius Carlo Tadena, John Vincent Manalo, Felix Lumbag Jr. and Shalimar Imperial.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) urged the Commission on Higher Education to fasttrack the release of the implementing rules and regulations of the Anti-Hazing Law.

“This cruel and inhumane practice must end...The longer the strict implementation of the law is delayed, the more danger our students are in,” Jacqueline de Guia, CHR spokesperson, said. Rainier Allan Ronda