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By Katrice R. Jalbuena
Reporter
The National Bureau of
Investigation wants to question at least five persons who could shed
light on the death of University of the Philippines student Chris
Anthony Mendez, believed to be a victim of fraternity hazing.
Mendez, 20, died on August 27.
Police said he suffered bruises all over his body, especially his
arms and thighs. His family is persuaded he was beaten up during
initiation rites of the Sigma Rho fraternity.
He was buried on Monday.
The NBI’s antiterrorism
division will conduct a parallel investigation on the request of
Mendez’s family.
The division chief, Romulo Asis,
said the mother gave a statement to the NBI on Saturday.
On Monday, the security guard on
duty at the Veteran’s Memorial Hospital where Mendez was taken
also submitted a statement.
The guard, Jonathan Garduce, said
the victim was brought to the hospital about 1:08 a.m. Monday in a
Toyota Innova with license plate SAB 393. In the car was a man who
identified himself as a Dr. Francisco Cruz, a consultant with the
hospital, the victim and four other males.
Garduce said that while he did
not get the names of the victim’s companions, Dr. Cruz himself
told Garduce that one of the males was his son.
A few minutes later, a Toyota
Corolla (license plate WGL 515), an Isuzu Trooper and another
vehicle (XAS 548) arrived, the guard said.
There were two females and a male
in the Corolla, he said.
The NBI issued subpoenas to Dr.
Francisco Cruz, Dolores Geronimo, the administrative officer of the
Veteran’s Memorial Hospital; Dr. Daphne L. Gascon of the
Veteran’s Memorial Hospital; and three classmates of Mendez: Ariel
Paolo Ante, president of the Student Council of the National College
of Public Administration and Governance; Fuzzy Clemente and Rina
Reyes.
Asis said the NBI also intends to
subpoena the officers of the Sigma Rho. The agency sent a letter to
the University of the Philippines administration requesting an
official list of the members and officers of the fraternity.
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