MANILA – Dexter Dormitorio, older brother of Darwin who died of hazing inside the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) campus in 2019 says they are grateful for the action of the panel of prosecutors but they are displeased of the resolution.
In a live radio-TV interview on Monday, June 29, he said “frankly dissatisfied kami sa resulta. Parang selective at impartial ang application ng Anti-Hazing Law kahit na may ebidensya kami (We are dissatisfied with the result. It looks like selective and impartial application of the Anti-Hazing Law despite the evidence).
About nine months after the death of 20-year old Cadet Fourth Class Darwin Dormitorio, the Prosecutor’s Office of Baguio City found probable cause to file charges of hazing, murder and physical injuries against principal suspects, including four upper class PMA cadets and three doctors.
Cleared for lack of probable cause are former PMA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista and former PMA Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro. Also cleared of any charge are two other PMA officials and three cadets. The 6-foot upperclassman who was caught on video repeatedly kicking the victim inside the PMA dormitory in September 2019 was charged for slight physical injury.
“Hindi ko lang maintidihan kung bakit slight physical injury lang at nakita naman na six-footer yong tumadyak sa kanya, hindi ko alam kung paano na-appreciate sa panel of prosecutor, (I cannot understand why the charge is only for physical injury when everyone can see that the one who kicked him is a 6 feet tall guy, I don’t know how the panel of prosecutors appreciates this)” the older Dormitorio said.
Dormitorio further said their family is grateful for the effort of the panel of prosecutors for doing their job despite the lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic but they are still weighing their legal options, including the possibility of filing an appeal to include those they feel part of being prosecuted for their level of participation in the hazing incident that led to the death of Darwin.
“We just want this hazing practice in the PMA to stop before other cadets will die. We have good evidence against the concerned high ranking officials of the PMA based on the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation but the prosecutors may have seen otherwise,” he said.
This may be the first case that will be filed under Republic Act 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018, amending Republic Act 8049 otherwise known as the Act Regulating Hazing and Other Forms of Initiation Rites in Fraternities, Sororities, and Organizations, and Providing Penalties Therefor.
