Bagong Henerasyon Partylist Representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
A lawmaker has warned Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa against applying the PNP chief鈥檚 鈥渓iking for hazing鈥� to civilians.
While Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy said she is 鈥渁ware of the seeming value of hazing in the off-the-books training regimen at police and military academies apparently meant to keep troops from revealing secrets to enemy combatants,鈥� she said she is hoping Dela Rosa 鈥渨ill not apply to civilians his liking for hazing.鈥�
Herrera-Dy is one of the authors of the proposed Anti-Hazing Law that the lower House passed on third and final reading last January.
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In a press briefing on Monday, Dela Rosa admitted that hazing has been part of the culture in the PNP Academy (PNPA). This, he said, made him disciplined and tough.
鈥淎gain, hindi ko jinujustify yung hazing porke dinaanan ko na 鈥榶an, natapos ako ng four years na bugbugan sa academy鈥� (I am not justifying hazing even though I went through hazing, I finished four years of beatings in the academy),鈥� he said.
鈥淐oming from me, I must tell you, yung lahat ng pinagdaanan ko na paghihirap, diyan ako naging disiplanado at (kaya) ako naging ganito ngayon鈥� (All of the hardships I have gone through, it made me a disciplined man like what I am today) Sometimes, I鈥檓 very tough and sometimes I鈥檓 very soft, because of the training,鈥� he added.
The congresswoman also called on the police and military, to 鈥渇aithfully and effectively implement鈥� the Anti-Hazing Bill once it becomes a law, 鈥渄espite their appreciation of how hazing mattered in their careers.鈥�
鈥淐ongress worked long and hard on the new Anti-Hazing Law. It took the hazing death of UST student Horacio 鈥楢tio鈥� Castillo for this legislative measure to gain public support and momentum at the House and Senate,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e do not want any more hazing deaths and injuries to any of our children, teenagers, and young adults,鈥� she added. /jpv
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