Harrowing cries from grieving mothers were heard across Baguio Regional Trial Court Branch 5 where Judge Maria-Ligaya Itliong-Rivera ended the five-year long murder case of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadet 4th class Darwin Dormitorio.
On August 16, 2024, the decision found Shalimar Imperial Jr. and Felix Lumbag Jr guilty beyond reasonable doubt in the case of murder and violation of the Anti-Hazing Law and while Julius Carlo Tadena was likewise found guilty in the case of defying the Anti-Hazing Law.
The three were sentenced to “reclusion perpetua” or up to 40 years in prison.
The family of the convicted had to be escorted out of the courtroom after the decision was read, with family members becoming emotional while the family of Dormitorio cried silently inside the courtroom.
Dexter, brother of Darwin said “Hindi namin mababwi ang buhay niya but we are giving the youth a better chance of survival when they join organizations or fraternities kasi ultimately ang anti hazing law ay geared toward fraternities but tinablan yung PMA, a organization which is very respectable, ito na siguro ang legacy ng family ko for our society, we lost my brother and my father, but we have contributed greatly to the future mg mga bata lalong lalo na sa PMA, yung years of glorifying hazing as part of their training, di yun tama eh, yung cowardice nila to address this practice, it took our family, it took the death of my brother and the courage of my family to resolve that lingering issue on the academy.”
The death of Dormitorio called for the enactment of the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018, backed by student groups and organizations which denounce initiation rites.
The RTC also gave Imperial and Lumbag a fine of P3 million each for hazing, as it ordered them to jointly and solidarily pay Dormitorio’s heirs P75,000 as civil indemnity, P75,000 as moral damages, P25,000 as temperate damages, and P100,000 as attorney’s fees.
Tadena was given a fine of P2 million.
Jasmine Dormitorio, mother of the Darwin said “I am happy with the decision, but it cannot bring back the life of my son, I also feel for the mothers of the accused, we are all victims.”
Darwin’s father retired Colonel William Dormitorio, died July 10, and did not survive to witness the decision.
Dexter said “Nagpapa salamat kami, kasi this time around victorious kami sa file namin, namiwala talaga kami na may accountability sila and fortunately enough na grant ng court ang 5 years of a very hard-fought battle, nakuha namin ang justice para kay Darwin, definitely di lang para sa kanya justice, it is for all who died in PMA na homicide lang ang conviction, the others na nilibing na lang buhay without even finding the truth without finding the truth about the academy
Police investigation showed the 20-year-old from Cagayan de Oro died on September 18, 2019, due to injuries he sustained from beatings inflicted by upper-class cadets inside the academy, succumbing to injuries inflicted by upperclassmen in the elite military school, the incident has prompted former PMA Commandant of Cadets Bartolome Vicente Bacarro and PMA Superintendent Lt. General Ronnie Evangelista to resign from their posts.
Lawyer for the Dormitorio family, Jose Adrian Bonifacio said “hindi ganun ka-dali, we would have wanted more na masama sa demanda, yung Superintendent, yung cadet commandant before ng PMA, pero di sila nasama, at any rate di pa naman tapos, nilalaban namin sa Ombudsman, sa DOJ, yung haba ng panahaon, yung hirap na maghanap ng testigo, kasi nag start ang case in the course of the pandemic, ngayon parang sulit lahat ng hirap, this is the day for the Dormitorio family, I pray that Darwin and his father will finally have peace.”
The convicted will be brought to the PMA for a medical checkup before being transferred to the Baguio City Jail. By Maria Elena Catajan
