A family member of hazing victim Marc Andrei Marcos has personally asked the assistance of the Senate for the immediate resolution of the case of the 20-year-old freshman law student of San Beda College.
”We are just appealing for every assistance we can get,” said Madeline Corpus, aunt of Marcos, after meeting with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Senate committee on public order chairman Gregorio ‘Gringo’ Honasan II on Wednesday at the Senate of the President office.
Corpus was accompanied by Atty. Jose Ibarra, the appointed spokesman of the family of Marcos.
Gringo told the public that the Senate is committed to extend any assistance that would lead to the immediate resolution of the untimely demise of Marcos due to fraternity initiation rites.
”The Senate President has ordered me to conduct a hearing , in aid of legislation, to look into the possibility of amending the Anti-hazing laws, or appropriate laws, to address this problem once and for all,” Honasan said in media interview.
Honasan said the Senate would particularly include in the amendment the police protection for the family of the victim and the witnesses who would be coming forward to help the case.
”We will see the weaknesses of the law and the need for a new law if its’ necessary. That’s the directive of the Senate President,” Honasan, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, said.
The senator said the directive of Enrile was tentatively set to be tackled on the floor on Monday next week.
Sotto assured that the Senate will give priority on the investigation of the case as the senators condemned the death of Marcos due to hazing.
“Another life has been lost to a senseless killing by misguided students who perpetuate a culture of violence,” said Senator Pia Cayetano.
Cayetano said those responsible for Marcos’ death must be arrested immediately and made to face justice.
She also urged senior fraternity members and alumni to break their silence to help solve the case and end the cycle of fraternity hazing deaths.
Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero urged law enforcement agencies to immediately bring the suspects behind the gruesome crime to justice.
“Another senseless act of fraternity violence, another young life lost. It cannot be business as usual anymore. Law enforcers must get to the bottom of this heinous crime immediately and bring those responsible to justice soonest,” Escudero said.
As chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, Escudero vowed his all-out support to efforts to seek justice for Marcos.
In February this year, Marvin Reglos, also a law student at San Beda College, died from injuries sustained in an alleged hazing incident.
Reglos was a neophyte of the college’s Lambda Rho Beta fraternity.
“It is clear that there should be stricter monitoring of fraternities, especially those that have a track record of excessive initiation violence. Hazing goes beyond the spirit of fraternal brotherhood, and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” Escudero said.
The senator vowed to look into possible measures to address fraternity hazing, including amendments to the Anti-Hazing Law and reviewing the budgets of state colleges and universities to see how the institutions can help curb such activities perpetrated by recognized fraternities.