ANOTHER member of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity and a person of interest in the fatal hazing of Adamson University chemical engineering student John Matthew Salilig yesterday surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The NBI – National Capital Region identified the fratman as Aron Cruz, alias Bones, but did not give specific details on his participation in Salilig’s hazing.
A complaint of obstruction of justice was earlier filed by the PNP against Cruz’s father after he initially refused a police request to examine an SUV found in their Parañaque residence that was allegedly used by the fratmen after the initiation rites and was the subject of a search warrant.
Prosecutors from the Department of Justice (DOJ) last Friday dismissed the complaint against the father due to “lack of probable cause with reasonable certainty of conviction,” according to DOJ spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano.
The PNP has so far filed charges of two counts of violation of Republic Act 11053, or the Anti-Hazing law, against seven Tau Gamma Phi members – “Grand Triskelion” or Tau Gamma Adamson chapter leader Tung Cheng Teng Jr., Earl Anthony Romero, Jerome Balot, Sandro Victorino, Michael Lambert Ritalde, Mark Pedrosa and Daniel Perry, the alleged master initiator of the fraternity’s Adamson chapter.
The seven are now detained at the police station in Biñan, Laguna where the initiation ritual supposedly happened.
Another fratman and person of interest in the case, a certain “Sakmal,” allegedly committed suicide in Taguig City on February 28, the same day that the battered and decomposing body of Salilig was discovered buried in a shallow grave in Imus, Cavite, 10 days after he was reported missing by his family.
The police are looking at 22 Tau Gamma Phi fraternity brothers as supposedly involved in the hazing of Salilig.
ADAMSON NOT LIABLE
Meanwhile, Adamson University’s Students Affairs Director Jan Nelin Navallasca said the university cannot be held liable for Salilig’s death as it complied with the law’s requirement to inform students that fraternities and sororities are not allowed in the school.
Navallasca said Salilig and those involved in the hazing rites even attended the university’s orientation program where the prohibition was announced.
“We have not been remiss of our obligation to tell them that fraternities are not allowed, do not join this unrecognized organization,” Navallasca told ABS CBN News channel.
Adamson Prof. Dr. Julius Estampador reiterated Tau Gamma Phi is not a recognized student organization in the university.
“What Matt Salilig did and those who did the crime are on them. The school has no liability in my opinion because they were told fraternities are not allowed and hazing is illegal,” Estampador said.
He said that the university had even expelled students in the past for their involvement in fraternities and sororities.
The two university officials made the statement in response to the statements made by Senators Francis Tolentino and Jinggoy Estrada during the Tuesday Senate committee hearing that Adamson should be held responsible for its lapses in monitoring the activities of fraternities in the university.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo also said he is looking at including school administrators in the criminal charges filed against perpetrators of the fatal hazing.
