MILITARY HONORS Although still a cadet, Darwin Dormitorio was buried with military honors in Cagayan de Oro City on Wednesday morning. In photo above, soldiers from the Army鈥檚 4th Infantry Division carry his coffin to the hearse that will take it to the Cagayan de Oro Gardens. 鈥擩IGGER J. JERUSALEM
BAGUIO CITY鈥擜 witness account that Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio was beaten up over misplaced boots will be the focus of a complaint the police are preparing against three Philippine Military Academy (PMA) upperclassmen for the death of the 20-year-old plebe.
Col. Allan Rae Co, Baguio City police chief, on Wednesday said two upperclassmen were directed to punish Dormitorio for failure to find a pair of boots that had been entrusted to him by another cadet.
Nine cadets were taken to the city prosecutor鈥檚 office on Tuesday to give sworn statements on the hazing of Dormitorio, who died at the PMA Station Hospital on Sept. 18.
A police autopsy showed that Dormotorio died from internal injuries caused by beating.
Maltreatment
A PMA investigation report released on Tuesday identified the three suspects in the plebe鈥檚 death as Cadet 1st Class Ray Sanupao and Cadets 3rd Class Shalimar Imperial and Felix Lumbag.
Citing the report at a news conference, Brig. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro, PMA commandant of cadets, said Imperial and Lumbag beat up Dormitorio on orders from Sanupao.
The three cadets have been ordered expelled.
If true, the beating could be considered excessive punishment.
Co, however, said on Wednesday that it would qualify as maltreatment, a violation of the antihazing law.
鈥淓xcessive punishment presupposes that the punishment is legal,鈥� Co said. But when the 鈥減unishment being meted out is illegal, like punching and kicking, it鈥檚 maltreatment,鈥� he said.
The police were gathering documents they would need to bring charges against the three upperclassmen over Dormitorio鈥檚 death.
Discharge papers
Although he had resigned as PMA superintendent, Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista said on Wednesday that he would sign the three cadets鈥� discharge papers once the charges were filed 鈥渙r else they could go scot-free.鈥�
The three cadets are detained at the PMA. They will be transferred to the Baguio police custody as soon as the complaint is filed.
Dormitorio was buried in Cagayan de Oro City on Wednesday morning.
In a message read for him by his wife, Jane, Interior Secretary Eduardo A帽o vowed that 鈥渢here will be no whitewash, no sacred cows鈥� in the investigation of Dormitorio鈥檚 death.
The PMA was represented at the funeral by Col. Claro Unson, the academy鈥檚 deputy dean for academics.
Speaking to reporters, Unson admitted that the PMA had failed to fully enforce the antihazing law.
鈥淲e are just very sorry. We have our shortcomings,鈥� Unson said. 鈥淲e did our best, but our best was not good enough.鈥�
He said Dormitorio鈥檚 death would serve as the rallying point for the elimination of hazing in the academy.
Military honors
Although still a cadet, Dormitorio was buried with military honors.
Soldiers from the Army鈥檚 4th Infantry Division served as pallbearers at the funeral.
As his coffin was lowered into the grave, the troops fired a 21-gun salute, a final tribute to a young man who had aspired to become a soldier of his country. 鈥擶ith a report from Jigger J. Jerusalem