Zubiri wants amended Anti-Hazing Law passed before December

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri on Wednesday said he and other lawmakers are hoping to have the amended Anti-Hazing law passed before December.

In an interview on Unang Balita, Zubiri said he and co-author Senator Sherwin Gatchalian "are going to pursue this to the very end. Hindi po namin ititigil ang adbokasiya na 'to at gusto po naming maipasa ang amended Anti-Hazing Law hopefully before December."

Zubiri said the Anti-Hazing Act became a law 22 years ago, and since then, many cases of hazing have already been reported. Some of the persons involved have been acquitted, and many others have not been convicted.

Only 3 percent of the suspects in hazing cases have been convicted, Zubiri confirmed, citing statistics from the Philippine National Police.

"Sa lahat po ng kaso ng hazing na nahawakan po ng PNP, there are 393 suspects, almost 400 suspects. Almost 300 or 296 are at large; hindi pa nila mahuli-huli. At 'yung conviction rate lamang ay 15 ang na-convict sa ating batas, for a total of 3.8 percent conviction rate. Napakababa," he said.

He added that one of the problems may be traced to the fact that the current law allows hazing.

"Sa title mismo ng kanyang batas na An Act Regulating Hazing, ibig sabihin pinapayagan pa nila ang hazing basta may nagbabantay lang galing sa eskwelahan at may written notice sa eskwelahan at posible po pong magkaroon ng initiation rites. Kaya ang nangyayari, 'pag talagang may initiation rites na at medyo ganadong-ganado at medyo taas na ang adrenaline nila, nagiging bayolente at may namamatay. Nakita naman po natin ilan ang namatay," he said.

The most recent victim of hazing is Horacio "Atio" Castillo III, a freshman Law student at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law. He was found dead on September 17 after undergoing "welcoming rites" of the Aegis Juris Fraternity that weekend.

Zubiri said they are proposing that the title of the law be changed. "Technically kaya nakakalusot po itong mga hazing activities dahil sa pangalan mismo ng batas ay mali na. Kaya papalitan natin at gagawin nating mas mahigpit."

Among the amendments they are proposing is a provision penalizing a person for being present at the hazing incident.

"Kung nando'n ka lang po sa hazing, maski na hindi po kayo kasali, nanonood lang po kayo, kaagad-agad reclusion temporal. That is 12 years to 20 years with a fine of P1 million," he said.

Zubiri also said that they are also pushing that all officers of fraternities and sororities, from the president down to the sergeant-at-arms, will be penalized with automatic reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment.

Those proven to have performed hazing and conducted physical and mental torture will likewise be penalized with automatic reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment and P3 million fine, he said.

"Isi-simplify po natin 'yung batas dahil 'yung original na batas, graduated po. Napakaraming multa kaya minsan imbes na hatulan ng reclusion perpetua o life imprisonment, nababagsak na lang po ng prison menor, prison mayor dahil meron pong ganung penalties sa existing law. Tatanggalin na po natin 'yan," Zubiri said.

Asked if fraternities should be banned too, Zubiri replied, "Dapat bawal na po."

"In this day and age, parang nagugulat pa nga 'yung mga taga-abroad n'ung pinapadalhan ako ng mensahe sa Facebook page ko na bakit ganito, mga barbaric acts ang ginagawa sa ating mga kabataan?'" he said.

The senator added that hazing must be stopped.

"Itong mga estudyanteng ito, law students, professionals, ito po 'yung magiging tagabantay dapat ng ating mga batas, uphold the law. They will take their oaths at the Supreme Court 'pag naipasa na po nila ang kanilang Bar examinations. And in that oath, they will promise to uphold the law to help the defenseless. Eh kung sila mismo ang naglalabag sa batas ay dapat sigurong maitigil na po itong klaseng hazing rites na ito. At 'yan po ang gagawin namin," he said. —KG, GMA News