Nakatakdang amyendahan ng Senado ang Anti-Hazing Law of 2018 upang magpataw ng multang P20 milyon sa sangkot sa pagkamatay o malubhang pagkasugat ng sinumang neophyte sa hazing, ayon sa isang committee report.
Ayon sa ipinalabas na report ng joint panel ng Senate Committees on Justice and Human Rights at Public Order and Dangerous Drugs nakatakdang amyendahan ang Republic Act 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Law of 2018 upang “papanagutin ang fraternities, sororities, at iba pang organizations na pangunahing sangkot sa pagkamatay o pagkasugat ninuman sa initiation rites ng kanilang asosasyon.”
Binanggit din sa report na ipinalabas kamakailan ang mga datos hinggil sa isinagawang imbestigasyon ng Senado sa pagkamatay ng hazing victim ng Adamson University student na si John Matthew Salilig, na dapat kasama na sa amendment ang P20-million multa sa fraternities, sororities, at katulad na organizations “for any death or physical injuries that results from any of the initiation activities of their organization”.
“The organization shall likewise must shoulder the litigation fees of the victim’s family,” ayon sa ulat.
“Any death or physical injury brought about by the initiation activities of a fraternity, sorority, or any similar organization will cause the automatic cancellation of the SEC certificate of registration of the fraternity, sorority, or other similar organization and the corresponding declaration of the group as an illegal organization making its founders, officers, and members punishable under the law. Fraternities, sororities, and similar organizations, whether school-based or not, shall be required to register each of their local chapters, including the list of their officers and members in that chapter, to the local police station that has jurisdiction over their locality,” batay pa rin sa report.
Itinakda ng panel na kokolektahan ng PNP ang listahan sa isang “national database” ng fraternities at sororities at katulad na organisasyon o grupo. Sakaling tumanggi o mabigo itong tumupad sa requirements, magsisilbi itong prima facie presumption sa illegal activities ng organisasyon.
“An insightful analysis of the matters discussed during the hearing would lead to the conclusion that the root cause of the problem in our midst really is the culture of violence that is prevalent and being perpetrated by fraternities, sororities, and other organizations. It is the tradition of these organizations of using violence as a requirement for admission and retention of membership in its supposed ‘brotherhood’ that is causing the deaths in these organizations. Thus, we should not leave the fraternity out of the equation when we talk of liability,” ayon sa report.
“When asked by the chairperson of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs if the suspects were aware that the conduct of hazing is prohibited and actually punishable by law, the suspects admitted that they are aware of such statutory prohibition. When asked why they still proceeded with the hazing despite the knowledge that it is prohibited by law, the suspects stated that they were merely following tradition for fear of being imposed a D.A. (disciplinary action) by their fraternity,” dagdag nito.
Gusto ring isama ng Senate panel sa amendments ang papel ng eskwelahan sa pakikipag koordinasyon sa gobyerno upang maiwasan ang hazing sa pamamagitan ng pagtatakda na magkaroon ng mandatory orientation sa estudyante, magulang at kanilang guardians.
“Failure of the school to conduct such mandatory orientation and failure to submit compliance report to the CHED and the Congress shall make the schools liable to pay a fine of Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) and shall be a ground for the CHED to deny a school’s autonomous status. The fine of Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) shall be paid to a Trust Fund to be created by the CHED, which fund shall be used solely for the support of victims of hazing,” batay sa report.
Sinabi rin sa naturang panukala na kailangan magparehistro ang lahat ng fraternity, sorority at katulad na organisasyon sa paaralan sa halip na ipagbawal ang ganitong uri ng pagkilos.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
