Hazing suspect says he belongs to a frat different from the victim's

A hazing suspect on Tuesday claimed that he could not have had a hand in the death of victim Marvin Reglos in February because they belong to different fraternities. In a sworn statement submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Christian Adobo said he belonged to the University of Santo Tomas-based Gamma Delta Epsilon while the victim belonged to the San Beda-based Lambda Rho Beta.

 

Adobo said he and 17 other fellow Gamma Delta Epsilon frat members were the ones, and not Lambda Rho Beta members, who rented the resort where Reglos was believed to have undergone initiation rites on February 18. In an interview with GMA News Online lawyer Adobo's lawyer Galileo Angeles said no initiation rites happened at the resort on that day.

 

"Dine-deny niya na nag-participate sila sa initiation rites. In fact, walang initiation rights na nangyari at wala rin ang Lamda Rho Beta nung ni-rent nila ang resort," Angeles said.

 

Earlier on Friday, members of UST's Gamma Delta Epsilon fraternity appeared before the NBI to claim that it was their group that rented the resort, not San Beda's Lambda Rho Beta fraternity.

 

Reglos, a 25-year-old freshman law student applying for the Lambda Rho Beta, died with bruises on his arms and thighs. An autopsy revealed his cause of death as kidney failure.

 

Several members of the San Beda-based group, including its highest official, have already been slapped with charges of murder and violation of the Anti-Hazing Law.

 

The victim was laid to rest on March 3.

 

At least two law students claiming to be Reglos' fellow neophytes have already surfaced and vowed to cooperate in the investigation being conducted separately by the NBI and the Philippine National Police. - VVP, GMA News