Hazing Victim Family Blocks Promotion of Ex-PMA Head Over Cadet’s Death
The family of hazing victim Darwin Dormitorio blocked the promotion of the ex-PMA (Philippine Military Academy) head due to the cadet’s death.
The Commission on Appointments refused to promote Maj. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, the present commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Southern Luzon Command. The CA confirmed the appointment and nomination of 39 AFP generals and senior officers who came before it on an ad interim basis.
Bacarro was not confirmed because the family of Darwin Dormitorio, a cadet who allegedly died in the hazing or torture of upperclassmen at the PMA in 2019, complained. Bacarro was the cadets’ commander at the time.
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According to the postmortem report, PMA cadet Dormitorio died as a result of blunt traumatic injuries. Darwin’s brother, Dexter Dormitorio, said it was impossible to hide the fact that someone died as a result of Bacarro’s failures as a leader and decision-maker.
“We sympathize with Mr. Bacarro, with his feeling of being unreasonably prosecuted. We are discounting the fact that in his many years of service as soldier his accolades and accomplishment that some of dream of, but this does not change the facts that during his term as commandant of cadets the evil culture of hazing seem to have flourished at the PMA, “he said.
Officials in the Dormitorio haze PMA cadets to death, according to a court order. Gerarda Villa, a member of Crusade Against Violence and the parent of a hazing victim 30 years ago who had nothing to do with Bacarro, also asked the CA to postpone Bacarro’s confirmation.
No one has been taught a lesson in hazing, according to Villa, because no one has been punished yet. He didn’t blame Bacarro, but he claimed command responsibility.
The Dormitorio family was dissatisfied with the fiscal’s response to the cadet’s death. Bacarro responded that he appreciates the families’ anguish, but the accusations have ruined his reputation, despite the fact that he was absolved of criminal culpability in the investigations.
“For the complaint against me for the violation of the anti-hazing law, anti-torture law and dereliction of duty have been dismissed by the Office of the City Prosecutor Baguio in a joint resolution dated 5 November,” he said.
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