ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) reminded parents and guardians to monitor the activities of their children to protect them from fraternities, sororities and other gangs.
Police Major Shella Mae Sangrines, ICPO spokesperson, said parents should supervise the activities of their children and know their friends.
“Parents have the primary responsibility to monitor their children. Dapat kabalo sila kung ano nga organization ang gina-updan nila. Basi wala sila kabalo ang ila bata gang member na,” Sangrines said.
The ICPO spokesperson is also appealing to schools and universities to know the existing fraternities and sororities and to check if these are legitimate.
“Ang mga schools dapat mag-monitor kag balikan nila ang guidelines and remind once again the students nga likawan mag-join sa indi legitimate nga fraternities para hindi mabiktima sang hazing,” Sangrines added.
The ICPO’s warning was in relation to the recent death of 24-year-old John Matthew Salilig, a student of Adamson University, due to alleged fraternity hazing.
Salilig was reported missing on Feb. 18 after he attended the initiation rites of Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.
Ten days later, police found his battered and decomposing remains dumped in a vacant lot in Imus, Cavite.
An autopsy report showed Salilig died due to “severe blunt force trauma in the lower extremities.”
A witness had earlier told the police that Salilig was beaten with a paddle at least 70 times during which he vomited and defecated.
At least six Tau Gamma members – Earl Anthony Romero, Tung Cheng Teng, Jerome Balot, Sandro Victorino, Michael Lambert Ritalde, and Mark Pedrosa – are facing formal complaints for Salilig’s death./PN
