(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill that bans all forms of hazing and other initiation rites that will inflict physical and psychological harm, with the signing of the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 or Republic Act No. 11053.
It calls for stiffer penalties such as fine of P3 million, aside from penalty of reclusion perpetua for those who planned or participated in the hazing which results in death, rape,sodomy or mutilation.
Hazing under the new law, R.A. 11053 will include “physical or psychological suffering, harm or injury inflicted on a recruit, neophyte, applicant or member as part of an initiation rite or a requirement for continuing membership in a fraternity or sorority or organization.”
These acts include the following: paddling, whipping, beating, branding, forced consumption of food, beverage, any liquid or drug, or other substance or any brutal treatment or forced physical activity likely to adversely affect the physical and psychological health of such recruit.
The law also bans all forms of hazing in fraternities, sororities and organizations in schools, communities and even businesses and uniformed service learning institutions.
The law also specified that businesses or corporations cannot require hazing as part of employment procedure.
With the signing of the law, all forms of hazing in fraternities, sororities and organizations in schools, communities and even businesses and uniformed service learning institutions, are banned.
It requires all school-based organizations that planned to hold initiation rites without hazing should file a written application to the school seven days prior to the scheduled date.
Such an application must also indicate the place and the date of the initiation, as well as the names of those who will undergo initiation, and an explanation of how this will be conducted.
Two school representatives are also required to be present during the said initiation activity.
The law also requires all fraternities, sororities and organizations to register, including those not organized by the school. A faculty adviser will also be required in their accreditation.
House Majority Leader Rodolfo C. Fariñas shared a copy of Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea’s letter to Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez, that confirmed the signing of the law by President Duterte on June 29
Within 60 days after the law’s approval, schools are ordered to make the required guidelines on approving or denying the conduct of initiation rites.
Other stiffer penalities include reclusion perpetua and a fine of P2 million for those who planned or participated in hazing under the influence of alcohol or drugs; reclusion temporal and a P1-million fine for those involved in the hazing. Prision correccional will also be imposed on any person who forced or threatened another person to join a fraternity or any other organization.
If the offender is a member of the Bar, he will face disciplinary proceedings before the Supreme Court. If he is from another profession, he will be subject to the Professional Regulation Commission’s regulation.
Congress ratified the bill in March after the hearings conducted on the death of hazing victim, University of Law freshman Horacio “Atio” Castillo III.
This new law penalizes even those who will try to cover-up hazing activities unlike the Anti-Hazing Act of 1995.
Senator Panfilo Lacson said that with the passage of the law, he hopes there would be no more cases of hazing deaths in the future like what happened with Atio Castillo.
“Atio Castillo sought to join a brotherhood in search for his purpose in life. Since there’s no more life to speak of, let his death serve the purpose of ensuring that the misery of hazing and the employment of appalling rituals will no longer be imposed in the name of brotherhood,” Lacson said in a statement on Wednesday.
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