Physical injury raps filed vs 12 BARMM police officers over alleged hazing of recruits
A criminal complaint has been filed against the former commander, and 11 other officers of an entire police unit in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) over the alleged hazing of over 100 police officer recruits in Lamitan City, Basilan, on Feb. 5.
The 12 former officers of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 14-B of the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR) were accused of physical injury in relation to Republic Act No. 11053, or the Anti-Hazing Act, Philippine National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said at a press briefing in Camp Crame on Tuesday.
He identified the officers concerned only by their ranks: a police colonel, a police major, five police corporals and five patrolmen.
“They were identified as the ones with a direct hand or participation based on the affidavits received by investigators and based also on the medical certificates [of some of the hazing victims],” Tuaño said.
Command responsibility
Asked about the role of the force commander in the alleged hazing of police recruits, the PNP spokesperson replied, “Based on the investigation … it’s not only because of … command responsibility. He was physically present while the said incidents were taking place.”
“The Anti-Hazing Law—it’s not only about the physical or personal involvement or inflicting of harm. It includes planning. By that alone, by virtue of his position … he is included because he did nothing to stop what his personnel was doing,” Tuaño said.
Only five officers were initially named in the criminal complaint filed before the local prosecutor’s office on Monday. Seven others, however, were included in the case on Tuesday morning, he added.
The 12 police officials have since been placed under restrictive custody, along with 10 others—a police lieutenant colonel, four police captains, a police lieutenant and four more patrolmen who are also still under investigation.
They were accused of ordering the recruits to duck walk and lie down and roll on the ground. Some of the victims said they were also “physically assaulted” and hit with wooden sticks during the hazing, which happened at the police unit’s headquarters in Barangay Ubit, Lamitan City, Basilan, on Feb. 5.
More complainants
Tuaño said that yantok sticks (arnis) and a baseball bat were recovered from the site. “We expect that more complainants will surface,” he told reporters.
One of three videos of the alleged hazing provided by the PNP Public Information Office showed at least four men with big bruises on the front and back of their thighs. Another video showed a man believed to be one of the victims kneeling on the ground before he was punched hard in the chest.
Only one of the recruits initially lodged the case against the officers, then 18 of his classmates gave their own statements and 110 more followed suit.
This prompted the PNP to relieve the entire RMFB 14-B unit composed of 77 personnel.
While 22 of the relieved officers are now under restrictive custody, the remaining 55 are expected to report daily to the PRO BAR headquarters while the investigation into the hazing allegations is ongoing, Tuaño said.
56 medical certificates
So far, 56 medical certificates from the 129 alleged victims have been submitted to police investigators, he added.
“Based also on the medical certificates we received, 96 percent … had hematoma, contusions in the lower extremities … Only four percent were hit in the upper extremities like in the face or the torso,” Tuaño said.
The recruits were advised by the doctor to rest for a week to recover from their injuries.
Tuaño also assured residents that despite the relief of the entire unit, security measures in the area are unaffected since the RMFB 14-A immediately took over.
