Senators: Expel student-members of unrecognized frats

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATORS have sought the expulsion of student-members of fraternities not recognized by their schools.

The lawmakers were also mulling holding the schools and their officials accountable in case of death of a student due to fraternity hazing.

Sen. Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights presided at yesterday’s hearing on the fatal hazing of John Matthew Salilig, and engineering student of Adamson University.

Tolentino called for the suspension of the accreditation of schools where a student would die of hazing.

In a media briefing after the joint committee hearing with the public order committee chaired by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, Tolentino said schools could expel fraternity members on reasonable grounds, adding it is the schools’ right although there was no enabling law about it.

During the hearing, Dela Rosa insisted that the best thing to avoid the existence of unrecognized fraternities in schools is to kick out or expel fraternity members.

“Since you consider them as outlawed, kick them out, expel- that’s the best thing. But you don’t want it due to tuition fees being paid to you,” Dela Rosa told lawyer Ana Abad, one of the representatives of Adamson University on Taft Avenue, Manila.