Police looking for another San Beda law student in probe of alleged hazing death

By CARMELA G. LAPEÑA, GMA News

Published July 31, 2012 4:26pm

Police are looking for another San Beda student who could provide information on the death of 22-year-old law student Marc Andre Marcos, Cavite police director Senior Superintendent John Bulalacao said Tuesday.

In a phone interview, Bulalacao said they are conducting follow-up operations on the whereabouts of Gian Veluz, a fourth-year law student of San Beda Alabang and a resident of Dasmariñas City in Cavite.

Veluz was mentioned in a Cavite police report, which said Marcos had been "mauled" by unidentified assailants on a farm in Dasmariñas, Cavite, and was brought to De La Salle University Medical Center in Dasmariñas by a certain Soledad Sanda, a cook of the Veluz family.

The same police report said Marcos was brought by Sanda and two unidentified companions on board a vehicle of unknown plate number.

"We may consider them as suspects, but we are still gathering pieces of evidence," Bulalacao told GMA News Online.

"Right now, siya lang ang lead because of the text message that was in the phone that was recovered. Hindi pa alam kung kanino itong telepono, kung sa victim or kay Sanda," Bulalacao said.

The police report said that further investigation revealed that Sanda received a text message from a certain "Gean" saying "Naitimbre ko na sa pulis yan."

Sanda's two unidentified companions disappeared upon admission of the victim, and Sanda's whereabouts are currently unknown. Bulalacao said Sandra appeared with a lawyer when she was called in for clarification on Monday, but she is now missing.

According to Bulalacao, Intelligence Officer Superintendent Romeo Balero, Chief Investigating Officer Superintendent Cosme Abrenica, and Dasmariñas police chief Superintendent Ulysses Cruz are conducting the follow-up operations.

"These are the officers involved in pursuing this case. I ordered them to leave no stone unturned to get to the bottom of the case," Bulalacao said. 'Uncooperative'

Bulalacao also said Veluz's family is "uncooperative."

According to Bulalacao, they have unearthed information that the killing is a hazing incident during a fraternity's initiation rites. He said they are confirming the identity of the fraternity.

The victim's family members believe he was undergoing initiation rites by the Lex Leonum fraternity composed of San Beda law students. As of posting time, the San Beda College of Law and the Lex Leonum have yet to issue statements on the matter. Unconscious

Meanwhile, De La Salle University Medical Center director Dr. Gary Carlos said the victim was unconscious when he was brought to the hospital past 11 p.m. on Sunday. "Wala nang pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure. 'Pag kinabit sa ECG machine, mayroon pang electrical activity. Nirerescuscitate, pero medyo pabago-bago yung condition," Carlos said.

Marcos died at 3:15 p.m. on Monday, before his family arrived at the hospital.

"We were trying to... gusto nga sanang maabutan nila, pero wala na," he said. Carlos said the victim had hematoma on the thighs and arms. "Sa bandang likod ng hita, mukhang malakas from the back," he said.

"Mahirap magbigay ng conclusion," he said, adding that the body was brought for autopsy to the Philippine National Police crime laboratory.

According to Carlos, the hospital staff who were present said the victim was carried in by males, but only one female, later identified as Sanda, remained after Marcos was admitted. — RSJ, GMA News

Tags: hazing, andreimarcos, marcandremarcos