Benilde students gather for candle-lighting vs. frat-related violence

(Updated 11:23 a.m.) Schoolmates of a student who died after a hazing incident last weekend gathered at their school grounds Tuesday morning to light candles and condemn fraternity-related violence.

 

The students of the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde also brought messages calling for an end to hazing, GMA News' Steve Dailisan reported.

 

A photo posted by GMA's Dailisan on Twitter showed the messages brought by the students that read "Brotherhood is not measured through violence."

 

Other messages said "Uphold right to life."

 

The report also said the DLS-CSB's Central Student Government called for a stricter implementation of the Anti-Hazing Law.

 

Police are processing leads on those involved in the fatal hazing of student Guillo Servando last weekend but are still trying to determine where the hazing occurred. 

 

Three of Servando's companions—John Paul Raval, Lorenze Agustin, and a 17-year-old—sustained injuries after the alleged initiation rite.

 

Republic Act 8049, the Anti-Hazing Law, penalizes "an initiation rite or practice as a prerequisite for admission into membership in a fraternity, sorority or organization by placing the recruit, neophyte or applicant in some embarrassing or humiliating situations such as forcing him to do menial, silly, foolish and other similar tasks or activities or otherwise subjecting him to physical or psychological suffering or injury."

 

Life imprisonment awaits those engaged in hazing if the incident results in death, rape, sodomy or mutilation.

 

Also, the owner of the place where hazing is conducted shall be liable as an accomplice if he knew about the hazing but failed to act on it.

 

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday said the National Bureau of Investigation will conduct its own probe on the incident. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News