Hugging the banner headlines and newscasts here this week is about the death of an applicant for a fraternity due to hazing.

In the first place, we do not wish to glorify the name of that hitherto unknown fraternity which was perhaps founded in the boondocks somewhere in the hinterlands of the province or elsewhere.

While the students involved are from the Central Visayas State College of Arts, Forestry and Technology and the Philippine Maritime Institute, the fraternity is certainly underground and does not have the sanction of school authorities considering that the initiation rites were held in the nearby Corella town late last week.

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As of yesterday, the charge sheet has been filed with the provincial prosecution office and the names of the officers and some members of that ragtag fraternity have been much publicized including that of the fraternity master identified as a certain "Almer" of PMI Colleges.

City Mayor Dan Neri Lim vowed last Saturday that he will use an iron-fist policy to get rid of gangsterism in Tagbilaran. We give him a 100% support for such crusade and let's get started with the parents.

We shall try to educate the parents about hazing first.

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The anti-hazing law as embodied by Republic Act 8049 was signed into law by then Pres. Fidel V. Ramos on June 10, 1995.

It defines hazing as "an initiation rite or practice as a prerequisite for admission into membership in a fraternity, sorority or organization by placing the recruit, neophyte or applicant in some embarrassing or humiliating situations such as forcing him/her to do menial, silly, foolish and similar tasks or activities or otherwise subjecting him/her to physical or psychological suffering or injury."

Section 2 of said law requires that "no-hazing or initiation rites in any form or manner by a fraternity, sorority or organization shall be allowed without prior written notice to the school authorities or head of organization seven (7) days before the conduct of such initiations. The written notice shall indicate the period of the initiation activities which shall not exceed three (3) days, shall include the names of those to be subjected to such activities, and shall further contain an undertaking that no physical violence be employed by anybody during such initiation rites".

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As amplified above, there was such no authority given to the initiation rites last week.

And what are the criminal liabilities considering that somebody died out of the hazing?

Section 4 of the anti-hazing law has the answer: "If the person subjected to hazing or other forms of initiation rites suffers any physical injury or dies as a result thereof, the officers and members of the fraternity, sorority or organization who actually participated in the infliction of physical harm shall be liable as principals".

The person or persons who participated in the hazing shall suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetual if death, rape, sodomy or mutilation results therefrom. The penalty shall be imposed in the maximum considering that the hazing was held outside of the school, as provided for by in letter d of Section 4.

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Here's more. The owner of the place where the hazing is conducted shall be liable as an accomplice, when he/she has actual knowledge of the hazing conducted therein but failed to take any action to prevent the same from occurring.

If the hazing is held in the home of one of the officers of members of the fraternity, sorority, group, or organization, the parent shall be held liable as principals when they have actual knowledge of the hazing conducted therein but failed to take any action to prevent the same from occurring.

Finally, the responsible officials of the school may impose the appropriate administrative sanctions on the person or persons charged even before their conviction.

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