Four students have been arrested in the Philippines over the death of a fellow student allegedly due to hazing. The victim, Ahldryn Lery Chua Bravante, was a 25-year-old criminology student. The suspects are now in police custody.
Four students have been arrested in the Philippines in relation to the death of another student, allegedly due to hazing. The victim, Ahldryn Lery Chua Bravante, was a 25-year-old fourth-year Criminology student. The suspects, Justine Cantillo Artates, Kyle Michael Cordeta De Castro, Lexer Angelo Diala Manarpies, and Mark Leo Domecillo Andales, are now in police custody.
The incident took place on October 16, 2023, when Bravante’s body was discovered in an abandoned building in Quezon City. The police were alerted by the Chinese General Hospital, where Bravante had been brought in unconscious with physical injuries. Two of Bravante’s companions, Artates and De Castro, revealed during the investigation that they were members of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity at the Philippine College of Criminology. They stated that Bravante had undergone an initiation rite, after which he experienced difficulty breathing and became unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
During the investigation, Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) collected six bottles of water as evidence, and an examination of Bravante’s body revealed hematoma on his legs and marks of burned cigarette on his chest and hands. In addition, Manarpies and Andales surrendered to the office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Quezon City Forensics Unit-National Capital Region (CIDG FU-NCR) in the early hours of Tuesday.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the issue of hazing, a practice that has caused injuries and deaths in various educational institutions. Hazing involves subjecting new members to physical and psychological abuse as a form of initiation. The Philippine government has taken steps to combat hazing, but incidents continue to occur.
The arrest of the four suspects is a significant development in the investigation into Bravante’s death. Authorities are working to gather more evidence and conduct further inquiries to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing and eradicating hazing practices to ensure the safety and well-being of students..
