Salilig’s father wants death penalty for hazing

The father of the late Adamson student John Matthew Salilig on Thursday said he is in favor of reviving the death penalty for those found guilty of involvement in hazing activities.

“Kung magkakaroon lang sana tayo ng death penalty with regards to this hazing, then maybe pwede na siguro isa sa mga pwedeng ma amendahan diyan sa Anti-Hazing Law,” Joeffrey Salilig said told ANC.

(If we can have the death penalty with regards to hazing, then maybe this could be one of the amendments in the Anti-Hazing Law.)

“I am now in favor of this so that itong mga fraternities involved sa ganitong initiation rites will really observe, no, hindi na nila gagawin ‘yan pag alam nila ganito na ‘yung stiffer penalty,” he later added.

(I am now in favor of this so that fraternities involved in such initiation rites will really observe, so they will not do this when they know about the stiffer penalties.)

The body of Salilig, 24, was found in a shallow grave in Imus, Cavite on Feb. 28, days after he was reported missing.

A neophyte previously said that the fraternity members declined to bring Salilig to the hospital after he suffered from a seizure during the welcoming  rites.

When asked about claims that the pain caused by hazing fosters brotherhood, Joeffrey said that initiation rites should be lessened.

“Since ang sinasabi nila na that is a tradition in every fraternity, maybe, magkakaroon naman siguro ng— let’s say ‘yung initiation rites but siguro dapat bawasan nila,” Joeffrey said.

(Since they are saying that this is a tradition in every fraternity, maybe if there are initiation rites, they should decrease it.)

“Maybe five or six or seven paddles. That could be enough but not yung mag we-welcome ka lang for example, bibigyan mo ng 70 paddles, 70 blows. That’s too much. It’s an inhuman act,” he added.

The Department of Justice panel of prosecutors on Wednesday announced that it has indicted seven members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity over the alleged hazing death of Salilig.

For Salilig’s family, this means the case is already “solved.”

“Dito sa investigation case natin, I think it is already solved kasi andyan na ‘yun eh… itong members ng Tau Gamma fraternity… has been already, because of probable cause, has been informally charged,” Joeffrey said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/RSJ, GMA Integrated News