12 face criminal charges over PMA cadet’s death

Another PMA official resigns 

BAGUIO CITY – The family of fourth class cadet Darwin Dormitorio formally filed criminal cases before the City Prosecutor’s Office against seven Philippine Military Academy (PMA) cadets and five soldiers over his death on September 18.

Dexter Dormitorio filed, Tuesday late afternoon in the Baguio Prosecutor’s Office, murder, anti-hazing, anti-torture, and negligence cases against seven PMA cadets, three doctors and two tactical officers involved in the death of his younger brother Darwin, a plebe in the academy who died of hazing on Sept. 17.

Accepting the complaints was Baguio City Prosecutor Edwin Brian Sagsago, with him were his lawyer Jose Adrian Bonifacio and Baguio City Police Dir. PCol. Allen Rae Co.

Dexter Dormitorio, Darwin’s brother, filed cases for violation of the anti-hazing, anti-torture laws and for murder against cadet 1st class Axl Rey I. Sanopao, cadet 2nd class Christian M. Zacarias, cadets 3rd class Shalimar G. Imperial Jr., Felix M. Lumbag, Julius Carlos Tadena, Rey David John D. Volante, and John Vincent M. Manalo.

Also charged were Capt. Flor Apply A. Apostol, Maj. Maria Ofelia R. Beloy, Col. Cesar Candelaria, Maj. Rex Bolo, and Capt. Jeffrey Batistiana.

“It’s now up to the prosecutors, sila ang magde-determine ng probable cause (they will determine the probable cause). We are hoping of course that they will find merit in the cases we filed and they will be filing the cases ultimately,” Police Col. Allen Rae Co, Baguio City police director, said.

Co said it will be the court that will issue a warrant of arrest upon judicial findings of probable cause to issue such warrant.

“[When there is already a warrant of arrest] that’s the time na papasok po tayo ulit to take into custody itong mga kadete (we will come in to take custody of the cadets),” he said.

Co said the seven cadets are currently inside the PMA holding center, some are in the stockade and physically isolated from the other cadets.

He, however, said for the whereabouts of the five officers, “we do not have any idea.”

“Yung officers po naman, they will be made to answer yung cases nga po (they will be made to answer the cases) and if prosecutor finds merit and the case will push through, baka magkaroon din po sila ng (there could also be) warrant of arrest and the same thing goes for them,” Co said.

On Sept. 18, Darwin was found inside his room at the PMA unconscious by fellow cadets and was brought to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

This, as a PMA brigade commander of the PMA Cadet Corps voluntarily resigned from his post weeks after the brutal death of Cdt. 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio, said Brig. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., commandant of the PMA Cadet Corps.

Cdt. 1st Class Ram Michael Navarro of the PMA “Masidlawin” Class of 2020 also stepped down as “class baron,” citing the “principle of command responsibility,” Brawner said.

Navarro’s decision followed that of Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista and Brig. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, who both resigned from their posts as PMA superintendent and PMA Cadet Corps commandant, respectively.

Navarro submitted his resignation to Brawner Wednesday night.

Cdt. 1st Class Marion Dale Cordova, Navarro’s mistah, replaced Navarro in a ceremonial turnover held also on Wednesday.

Brawner said he did not prevent Navarro from resigning since he did it “of his own volition.”

“He is the brigade operations officer so his role was very active since he will be training all cadets, can you imagine that?” he said.

Seven cadets involved in the death of Dormitorio will undergo the military’s general court martial (GCM) so that their discharge from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) can be processed.

Brawner said Cdt. 1st Class Axl Rey Sanupao, Cdt. 2nd Class Christian Zacarias; and Cadets 3rd Class Shalimar Imperial Jr., Felix Lumbag, Julius Carlo Tadena, Rey David John Volante and John Vincent Manalo were tagged as suspects and currently facing charges of murder and violation of the Anti-Hazing Law.

Brawner, however, said there was no time set on the court martial proceedings, which will be decided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ general headquarters.

“The discharge process is not finished yet and for us to have them discharged [from the PMA], we proposed that they should undergo general court martial [proceedings] in the military so we still have custody,” he told reporters.

Even with an arrest warrant, Brawner said the PMA would have custody of the seven cadets.

As for the five military officers who were also charged by the police and Dormitorio’s family, Cpt. Cheryl Tindog, PMA spokesman, said their cases were being evaluated as to whether they should be subjected to GCM proceedings. 

Baron relinquished his post to Cadet First Class Marion Cordova in order to “share the responsibility for what happened (to Dormitorio) and to allow the Corps to initiate far-reaching reforms,” said Major Reynan Afan, PMA public information officer.

“In a community of leadership, discipline, trust and fellowship, the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines … [are resolved] to put an end to such excruciating acts that defy the very values that the [PMA] instills and we stand as one corps against maltreatment,” stated a manifesto read by Navarro, on the same day PMA confirmed that Dormitorio had signs of injuries attributed to blunt force trauma.

The manifesto was signed by the commanders of all cadet classes including Dormitorio’s Class of 2023 which was incorporated only in July.

Last month, Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista resigned as PMA Superintendent, alongside his commandant of cadets, bemedalled combat officer Brig. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro, for command responsibility, but not before separating three of the cadets accused of hurting Dormitorio from the military school.

Last Oct. 8, 2019, the Dormitorio family charged seven upperclassmen for hazing, murder and torture, based on the testimonies of 14 cadets and 2 tactical officers.

Five PMA personnel, including the doctors who failed to treat Dormitorio’s internal injuries, were also charged for dereliction of duty.