Ex-UP law dean’s son files hazing raps

The son of a former law dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) has filed a hazing complaint against a judo coach and his two assistants at UP, GMA News’s 24 Oras reported Wednesday. UP freshman Miguel Pangalangan, 17, filed a complaint accusing judo coach, Emmanuel Jingco, of compelling him to undergo an “initiation" when he applied to join the university’s judo team. Pangalangan, son of former UP College of Law dean Raul Pangalangan, said he was blindfolded and punched by at least ten persons on different parts of his body, adding that other students were subjected to the same “initiation." “Yung purpose ng sapak, para maalala. So make it, sabi nila, maaalala niya ‘yung sakit," Pangalangan said. (The purpose of the punches was to make us remember the pain.) According to the GMA News report, the hazing incident occurred on April 7 last year. Former UP law dean Pangalangan said he filed a petition last September that UP remove the judo coach and his two assistants, who are instructors in the UP College of Human Kinetics (CHK). Jingco remains the acting judo coach. “Ang pakiramdam ko, mukhang niluluto ‘yung kaso sa level ng kolehiyo," said the former dean, who also writes a column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. (I smell something fishy with how the college is handling the case.) Sought for comment on Pangalangan’s complaint, Jingco denied GMA News’ request for an interview, but said in a text message it is against the university’s code of ethics “to reveal much about the case until UP has officially announced its decision." The UP CHK, under whose jurisdiction the case was filed, has released a recommendation that it has then submitted to the UP Diliman chancellor. “It’s now with them and they will be the ones to make the proper decision on the matter," said Ariel Juliano, officer-in-charge of the investigation.—Paterno Esmaquel II/JV, GMANews.TV