Solon says ‘recurring’ incidents of hazing, assault in PNPA not isolated

A lawmaker on Monday underscored that the recurring incidents of alleged hazing at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) should not be deemed as isolated cases.

Agusan del Norte Representative Lawrence Fortun was reacting to the death of Cadet Third Class George Karl Magsayo after his upperclassman, Cadet Second Class Steve Ceasar Maingat, reportedly punched him at least five times.

"Recurring incidents of hazing, homicide, and assault at the PNPA are not isolated. Zero incidents and 100% safety record are the proper institutional targets," said Fortun, a member of the House committees on public order and safety and human rights.

"Matatandaang noong 2019 lang, apat na kadete ng PNPA ang kinasuhan sa paglabag sa Anti-Hazing Law dahil sa panggugulpi sa kapwa kadeteng si John Desiderio," he added.

(To recall, four PNPA cadets were charged for violating the Anti-Hazing Law over the alleged maltreatment of John Desiderio.)

Some cadets of the PNPA were slapped with charges in 2019 due to their alleged maltreatment against Cadet Fourth Class John Desiderio. The latter was then rushed to the hospital after experiencing stomach pains.

Then PNP chief, retired Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa, had also deemed the alleged maltreatment incident inside the police academy as an isolated matter.

Meanwhile, Fortun said the National Bureau of Investigation should make the necessary intervention over Magsayo's case "to ensure a comprehensive, fair and impartial investigation of this killing incident at the PNPA."

"The NBI must secure the crime scene and interview cadets and officials the sooner the better because each day that passes can mean loss of evidence," Fortun said.

He also said the National Police Commission should come in for the administrative proceedings "to ensure that should this be a vase of violation of the Anti-Hazing Law and not just a case of homicide and a practice secretly countenanced by some officials, the same does not get swept under the rug and forgotten later."

PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar has already directed a review of the policies of the PNPA to avoid this incident from happening again.

An investigation is ongoing over the incident, Eleazar vowed. Maingat, meanwhile, is already under police custody. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News