Cadet Loses His Life After Being Punished by Senior Officer for Thumbs-up Reaction in Group Chat
A cadet lost his life after being punished by a senior class officer for giving a thumbs-up reaction in a group chat.
A 19-year-old maritime academy cadet named Vince Andrew Anihon Delos Reyes lost his life on July 8, 2024, after being punished by a senior class officer at their school in Calamba City, Laguna.
Vince, a second-year student, was subjected to strenuous exercises after he gave a thumbs-up emoji response in a group chat, which displeased the senior officer, known as Nataniel.
The punishment began around 5 PM when Vince, along with other cadets, returned to their barracks after dinner. Nataniel, upset by Vince’s casual thumbs-up emoji, ordered him to perform 100 squat thrusts, 100 pumping exercises, and 100-star jumps.
Unfortunately, Vince collapsed during the 58th star jump. His fellow cadets rushed him to the infirmary, and he was later transferred to the Global Care Medical Center. Despite their efforts, Vince was declared dead on arrival.
The senior officer, Nataniel, has been charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. Police Lieutenant Colonel Titoy Jay Cuden, leading the investigation, confirmed that the exercises were the sole cause of death.
Delos Reyes clarified that there were no signs of physical hazing and emphasized that the senior officer did not intend to kill Vince. Instead, the exercises were seen as a consequence of what was perceived as disrespect in their strict training environment.
However, Vince’s mother, Anna Delos Santos, finds it hard to believe that exercise alone could have caused her son’s death. She pointed out that Vince had undergone rigorous medical checks before joining the academy and was in good health.
Devastated and seeking justice, the family is considering legal action to ensure accountability for Vince’s untimely demise.
The incident was reported to the police early the next day, July 9, 2024. Vince’s body has since been brought back to his hometown in Baco, Oriental Mindoro.
In a previous post, a young cadet at PNPA dies during training exercise in Cavite
The social media users expressed their reactions to the incident:
