Witness: Abuse of Dormitorio ‘just frolics,’ suspects claimed

A witness to the hazing that led to the death of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadet Darwin Dormitorio said that the upperclassmen who inflicted much of the abuse on the plebe said that what they were doing was just "frolics."

According to an exclusive report by Marisol Abdurahman on 24 Oras on Wednesday, Dormitorio's company mate Cadet 1st Class Benson Tasic testified in his affidavit that Dormitorio named Cadets 3rd Class Felix Lumbag Jr. and Shalimar Imperial when asked if he was being hurt.

Dormitorio told Tasic on the evening of September 17 that the suspects punched and kicked him as he hung from the bunk bed.

Tasic also said that Lumbag and Shalimar denied that they hurt Dormitorio, and that they were only engaging in "frolics"—which the witness in the affidavit defined as to "attempt to hit something without force, or just touching it."

TIMELINE: Darwin Dormitorio's last days and final hours

Cadet 2nd Class Jerald Garcia, meanwhile, stated in his affidavit that he had encountered Dormitorio lying on Cadet 2nd Class Christian Zacarias' bed with his hand on his stomach on the morning of September 16.

According to Garcia, Zacarias attempted to pull up Dormitorio up but the victim couldn't and fell to the ground.

Zacarias then kicked Dormitorio in the legs, hips, and ribs with force more than five times.

Garcia told Zacarias to stop and the two cadets helped Dormitorio up. When they pulled his shirt off, they saw yellowish and purple bruises on his body.

According to the police report, an ambulance was called to bring Dormitorio to the PMA Station Hospital. 

Garcia last saw Dormitorio on September 17 at 10:30 p.m. after Dormitorio returned to his room after reporting to suspect and Cadet 1st Class Axl Rey Sanupao.

"Nakakapanginig ng laman sa inis at galit yung ginawa nila eh," Dormitorio's older brother, Dexter, said.

"Lalo na yung si Imperial at si Lumbag. Abangan niyo. May araw din kayo. May pag lalagyan din kayo," he added.

Sanupao, Lumbag, Imperial, and Zacarias will be facing charges for Dormitorio's death. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News