Even as developments stagnate, advocates are still seeking justice for 19-year-old Vince Andrew Delos Reyes, a marine cadet from NYK-TDG Maritime Academy in Laguna who died on July 8 after his senior officer allegedly forced him to perform grueling exercises as punishment after he unintentionally sent a thumbs-up emoji to the cadet corps group chat.
Delos Reyes was reportedly asked to perform 100 repetitions each of squat thrusts and pumping. The cadet later collapsed out of exhaustion and was rushed to the hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.
The tragic death of Delos Reyes attracted national attention when it was initially reported, with advocacy groups calling for reform inside training institutions like the maritime academy.
“Yung pangyayari kay Delos Reyes sa pagkamatay niya, malaking patunay siya na magpahanggang ngayon, malinaw na may ganitong kultura na nananalaytay sa loob at labas ng mga pamantasan,” said Jack Cardoza, coordinator of Anakbayan Laguna, to the Collegian.
Since it first hit the news, however, Cardoza pointed out that updates on the case have slowed down since they first published about the issue.
The police investigation only began after officials from the maritime academy notified them of the incident in the early morning hours of July 9, after Delos Reyes had already died the previous day. Delos Reyes’s senior officer, identified as “Nathaniel,” is currently in police custody.
The Region IV-A Commission on Human Rights’s office is conducting its own independent investigation, regional director Rexford Guevarra confirmed to the Collegian. In a statement to the press, the commission urged authorities to “ensure justice for the victim’s family.”
The commission has yet to respond to the Collegian on other requests for comment.
Delos Reyes is now part of an extensive list of deaths related to military, police and maritime training institutions; the prosecution is set to face tough scrutiny in the legal system.
Though laws such as RA 11053 or the Anti-Hazing Act could come into play, only one conviction has been made since the first anti-hazing law was enacted in 1995.
In fact, nearly all hazing charges have led to acquittals since 2000. Prosecutors end up focusing on adjacent charges instead, such as homicide, which see more lenient penalties.
In a hazing conviction, suspects could face life imprisonment if the incident led to death. But the suspect in Delos Reyes’s case was solely charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, which means he only faces a maximum prison sentence of six years.
Sentences have gone even lower, as in the case of Darwin Dormitorio, a cadet who died in 2019 from hazing in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). The two cadets connected to his death only received 30 days in prison for causing slight physical injuries.
The others accused in Dormitorio’s case ended up being acquitted of the same charge that Delos Reyes’s senior officer is currently facing.
Advocates at the time called for legislators to review the implementation of the Anti-Hazing Act, and PMA officials linked to the case were relieved from their duty, with the academy’s chief resigning a day later. But ultimately, the case did not lead to any legislative action.
The maritime academy has not released an official statement since the incident, nor has it announced that it will take action on any individuals connected to the case.
“Mababasag lamang ang ganitong sistema kung ang mga pamantasan, mga paaralan, ang talagang [mangunguna] para labanan ang ganitong klaseng sistema,” Cardoza said. “Kasi kung titignan natin, outdated na ang ginagawa nila. Kaya sa mga susunod na panahon ay mauulit at mauulit, hindi lamang sa iisa.” ●
