Legarda Condemns Latest Hazing Death; Calls on Gov’t to Take Action

SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA TODAY STRONGLY CONDEMNED THE ACTS OF HAZING THAT LED TO THE DEATH OF THE SAN BEDA COLLEGE OF LAW FRESHMAN ANDREI MARCOS, AND CALLED ON RELEVANT GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS TO TAKE ACTION.
“What kind of upbringing leads these young people to have the cruelty to kill a friend in an initiation rite? What kind of environment breeds such reprehensible behavior? And what are we doing to put an end to this?” Legarda asked after news of the hazing-related death was confirmed.
Mark Andrei Marcos, who graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Letters of the University of Santo Tomas last April and entered the San Beda College of Law last June, was declared dead at De La Salle University Medical Center in Dasmariñas, Cavite on the afternoon of July 30.
“We already have the law in place—Republic Act 8049, or the Anti-Hazing Law of 1995, which must be strictly implemented. We also enjoin the Commission on Higher Education to monitor the activities of school fraternities through the heads of educational institutions,” Legarda stressed.
“Furthermore, we remind the administrators of all schools, colleges, and universities in the country to ensure that no physical harm is inflicted upon anyone during initiation rites,” she added.
The Senator noted that it has only been five months since the death of Marvin Reglos, also a law student of San Beda and a victim of hazing.
“We cannot let the deaths of Reglos, Marcos, and so many others to be statistics, filed away, only to be recalled when another death occurs. We must make bold, conscious efforts to empower those who are in the position to regulate these activities and prevent these crimes. The government must cooperate with the administrators of schools, because only through a concerted effort can we address this perennial problem,” she said.
Legarda also remarked that she will support amendments that seek to strengthen the Anti-Hazing Law of 1995, and added that, “These acts of violence must be stopped. Tradition and brotherhood cannot justify hazing deaths; there is nothing that can justify the deaths of these individuals.”
“The swift hand of justice must be brought down upon those responsible for the senseless death of Andrei Marcos, and we must do everything in our power to ensure that not even one more hazing death will happen in this country,” Legarda concluded.