Baguio court finds 2 PMA cadets guilty of 'slight physical injuries' in Darwin Dormitorio case

A Baguio court has found two cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) guilty of charges of physical injuries over the death of Darwin Dormitorio in September 2019, his brother confirmed Friday.

The Baguio Municipal Trial Court convicted cadets Julius Carlo Tadena and Christian Zacarias for the charge of “slight physical injuries" and sentenced them to 30 days of imprisonment.

Atty. Adrian Bonifacio, the lawyer of the Dormitorio family, said Zacarias and Tadena "will not be set free anytime soon.”

“Then Tadena is still facing charges of hazing before RTC 5. What is important now for us is to terminate the case of Imperial, Lumbag, and Tadena sa RTC 5 for hazing and murder,” Bonifacio told GMA News Online.

The court ordered both to pay moral damages of P100,000 and attorneys fees of P50,000 each.

Meanwhile, the court acquitted former PMA Station Hospital chief Lt. Col. Ceasar Candelaria and medical officers Capt. Flor Apple Apostol and Maj. Maria Ofelia Beloy of the charge of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.

When sought for comment, Dormitorio’s brother, Dexter, said he was happy with the court’s decision regarding Tadena and Zacarias.

“Sa mga kadete, yes kahit lesser crime. It shows na ang ginawa nila ang nakapatay sa kapatid ko,” Dexter said.

(For the cadets, yes, even if it’s a lesser crime. It shows that what they did really led to the death of my brother.)

“Sa doctors, hindi, but the court decided based on testimonies and evidence submitted,” he later added.

Both Dexter and Bonifacio said they have a pending case for malpractice before the Professional Regulation Commission against the doctors.

“Fight (is) definitely not over,” Bonifacio said.

Dormitorio died at the PMA Hospital on September 18, 2019, a day after Apostol diagnosed him with urinary tract infection.

He was unconcious, unresponsive, and no longer had vital signs when he was brought to the hospital. Dormitorio's eyes no longer moved. His lips and nails were also already blue.

Dormitorio's chest, stomach, side and back all had bruises.

He was given cardio-pulmonary resuscitation but was later declared dead.

The diagnosis was cardiopulmonary arrest probably secondary to blunt thoracoabdominal injury probably to mauling. —VAL, GMA Integrated News