Cebu City police waiting for hazing victim’s family to file charges against suspect

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police here say they have identified the suspect of the alleged hazing that led to the death of 2nd year college student Ronnel Baguio in December 2022.

Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said that the necessary charges are ready against the suspect but they could not pursue with the filing since the complainant is not yet here.

Police said they could not pursue filing of murder charges and violation of the Anti-Hazing Law until Baguio’s family, the complainant, comes to file these charges.

“Kung pwede, mobalik diri ang ginikanan para ma-file ang kaso. Di man nato ma pursue kung wa tong complainant,” Dalogdog said.

(If possible, the parents could come back here to file the case.  We can’t pursue if there is no complainant.)

Baguio is a native of Bataan but was residing in Barangay Mambaling while attending classes in a university here. He was a second year Marine Engineering student.

Dalogdog said that last December 18, 2022, Baguio was brought to a hospital in Cebu City after experiencing  difficulty in breathing reportedly after going through initiation rites of a fraternity.

A day after, on December 19, around 5 a.m., he was declared dead by his attending physician.

According to Dalogdog, Baguio died due to Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Secondary to Indirect Lung Injury.

When Leny Baguio, the victim’s mother, knew about the incident, she immediately came to Cebu City from Bataan.

Dalogdog said they only knew about the hazing incident after the hospital where the victim was brought reported it to them.

By that time, Dalogdog said that Mambaling Police Station already conducted a follow-up operation against the suspect, who happens to be the recruiter of Baguio to this fraternity.

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