The Philippine National Police (PNP) is seeking the assistance of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to place on the immigration watchlist the hazing suspects in the death of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig.
PNP Chief Rodolfo Azurin, Jr., on Monday, said the PNP has formally requested to place the suspects in the immigration lookout to prevent those involved from fleeing the country.
“We already coordinated with the DOJ to put these suspects on the watchlist so that at least the Immigration will be alerted just in case these people try to flee outside our country,” Azurin said.
As of today, 18 people are considered persons of interest in the hazing of Salilig. Seven of them are under police custody and one of them allegedly committed suicide, according to reports from the Laguna police.
In another hazing case, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday meanwhile assured the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) that it will conduct a full-blown investigation and digital forensics into the death of a 20-year-old student, supposedly a hazing victim in Cebu.
PAO chief Persida Acosta met with NBI director Luigi de Lemos at the NBI office in Quezon City to seek assistance in identifying those behind the hazing incident that killed Ronnel Baguio of the University of Cebu.
“Let us see what the messages are. Who recruited him? We can summon those whose names would appear,” De Lemos said.
He instructed lawyer Jeremy Lopoc, officer-in-charge of the Cyber Crime Division, to assist Baguio’s mother, Leny, who came all the way from Bataan.
He vowed to help and act swiftly.
“We will issue a cyber warrant once the court in Cebu or Manila issues an order for us to open the Facebook account and chat messages inside the mobile phone unit of Ronnel,” Lopoc told the Manila Standard.
“We have all the tools to retrieve all deleted messages,” he said.
Leny surrendered her son’s cell phone to Lopoc for a “full investigation and digital forensics” and another SIM card “that could further provide vital information.”
“We will pursue the case to send a strong signal that hazing must be stopped. There is nothing wrong with fraternity for as long as it does not take the lives of its recruits during initiations,” Acosta said.
Based on police investigation, the university instructor, Rogelson Getaruelas, sponsored the recruitment of younger Baguio to be a frat member of Tau Gamma Phi.
Lopoc said NBI would summon Getaruelas, whom Ronnel had an exchange of communication before the hazing incident.
PAO said Ronnel was allegedly hazed on Dec. 10, 2022 and rushed to the hospital on Dec. 18.
He died on Dec. 19 due to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to indirect lung injury, acute kidney injury secondary to rhabdmyolosis and acute kidney injury secondary to rhabdomyolosis.
