Citing a rise in hazing incidents, a lawmaker on Wednesday filed a measure to amend the Anti-Hazing Law of 2018 to strengthen measures against the act and hold more people accountable.
Under Senate Bill No. 1318, Senator Raffy Tulfo said the liability for hazing would be extended to commanding officers, superiors, institutions and property owners through a “presumption of negligence.”
“This culture is not confined to schools and universities alone,” Tulfo said.
The senator pointed to the recent death of Private Charlie G. Patigayon, who died after undergoing initiation rites in the Philippine Army. While some officials were relieved of their duties, Tulfo said the current law makes it difficult to hold their superiors accountable under the principle of command responsibility.
The proposed bill aims to “break the cycle of hazing by holding accountable all those who enable, tolerate, or fail to prevent acts of hazing.”
It would require schools, military units, fraternities and sororities to establish their own anti-hazing measures, including anonymous reporting mechanisms.
The bill also mandates that fraternities and sororities register with local police stations and submit an official list of their officers.
Under the new legislation, individuals who conduct hazing and property or vehicle owners involved in incidents could face a prison sentence of 20 to 40 years and fines of up to P2,000,000. Schools found to be negligent could also be fined P2,000,000.
