MANILA — Senators on Tuesday said that they saw many problems in the present anti-hazing law such as the title itself seemed to “allow” hazing as long as there is a notice.
“Section 2 of the law if you read it, mukhang pinapayagan ang hazing basta may notice (Section 2 of the law, if you read it, seems like it allows hazing as long as there’s a notice),” Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon told reporters.
“Of course kung may masaktan, ibang bagay yun pero yung initiation at hazing basta meron kang notice mukhang pinapayagan although baka hindi yun ang intention ng batas but the way it was worded it appears that way (Of course, if someone gets hurt, that’s a different thing but initiation and hazing are allowed if there’s a notice. Although that might not be the intention of the law, the way it was worded appears that way),” he added.
Drilon said he would recommend a “total ban” on hazing because personal experience made him realize that “there’s no sense in it.”
“(Personal experience) helped me form the conclusion that we should ban it. There’s no sense in it,” he added.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, said that the decision to ban hazing would depend on Senate panel discussions.
“Depende sa discussion. Wala pang nabubuong draft. Pag may committee report o substitute bill, doon mabubuo yan (It will depend on the discussion. We haven’t finished a draft yet. When we have a committee report or substitute bill, that’s when we find out),” Lacson told reporters.
“Na-discuss lang doon ang problema sa present law, the title in itself is a problem. Whether tama o mali ang perception naroon pa yun kasi regulation ang sinasabi (What was discussed during the hearing were the problems in the present law, the title in itself is a problem. Whether the perception is right or wrong),” he added.
Lacson, however, said that he is quite sure that the current law would be amended not repealed.
“Siguradong i-amend, hindi i-repeal. Pag ni-repeal mo paano ang pending cases na nag-a-apply doon ang present law? Walang retroactive effect ang bagong batas pag nagpasa tayo di yan mag-a-apply sa old cases. May pending na kaso sa mga court, maapektuhan yan. Kaya dapat di repeal kundi amend (I’m sure it will be amended not repealed. If it is repealed, what about the present cases that apply there and the present law? The new law will have no retroactive effect and will not apply to old cases. There are pending cases in the court, they will be affected. That’s why it would not be repealed but amended),” he said.
The senator, meanwhile, said the Senate is ready to provide protection for other witnesses willing to testify, including prime suspect John Paul Solano if he would ask for it. (PNA)
