15/04/2026
I call for fast and decisive action on the recent hazing incident at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), which DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla described as the worst he has ever seen.
Those responsible must be immediately charged for violating Republic Act No. 8049, or the Anti-Hazing Law of 1995, as amended in 2018 by Republic Act No. 11053, and held accountable both administratively and criminally.
As the principal author of R.A. 8049, I have long maintained that while the law was amended in 2018 with stiffer penalties, it will remain good only on paper if there is no certainty of arrest or conviction.
There had already been hazing convictions even under the R.A. 8049, but the law can only deter would-be perpetrators if the law is enforced not just by the law enforcers, prosecution, and the courts, through swift arrests and convictions, but also by the other sectors of society—family, school, and the church—working together to uphold the law’s objective.
It is unfortunate that both the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and the PNPA have figured in recent high-profile hazing incidents in July 2025 and April 2026, respectively.
