Binigyang diin na hindi ipinagbabawal ng kasalukuyang batas ang hazing, sinuportahan ng Department of Justice (DoJ) ang pagbabago sa Republic Act 8049 o Anti-Hazing Law.
Sa tatlong pahinang legal position na isinumite sa Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs na pinamumunuan ni Senator Grace Poe, nagpahayag ng suporta ang DoJ sa anumang hakbang ng legislative department na palakasin pa ang Anti-Hazing Law dahil sa maraming iniulat na kaso ng mga insidente ng pagkamatay ng mga neophyte “which the present law failed to curtail.”
“In addition, we reiterate our suggestion to consider hazing, which has been defined under the proposed legislative measures as including both the infliction of physical and psychological harm to neophyte, as a prohibited act,” punto ng DoJ .
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“Notably, the present law merely regulates hazing and does not exactly make the act criminal,” dagdag nito.
Sinabi ni Azis na sinusuportahan ng DoJ ang objective ng mga may-akda ng mga nasabing panukalang batas na magpataw ng mas mabigat na parusa laban sa hazing sa mga fraternity, sorority at iba pang organisasyon.
Isinulong ng DoJ, sa pamamagitan ni Undersecretary Zabedin Asis, ang pagpapatibay sa ilang panukalang batas, na naglalayong amyemdahan ang Anti-Hazing Law, gaya ng Senate Bill No. (SBN) 97 (An Act Amending Section 4 of R.A. 8049, o mas kilala bilang An Act Regulating Hazing and Other Forms of Initiation Rites in Fraternities, Sororities and other Organizations and Providing Penalties Therefor); SBN 205 (An Act Regulating Hazing and Other Forms of Initiation Rites in Fraternities, Sororities and Other Organizations and Providing Penalties Therefor and For Other Purposes); SBN 2544 (An Act Penalizing The Failure to Report Act of Hazing); SBN 2912 (An Act Prohibiting and Regulating Other Forms of Initiation Rites of Fraternities, Sororities and Other Organizations, and Providing Penalties for Violation Thereof); SBN 5760 (An Act Prohibiting Hazing and Regulating Other Forms of Initiation Rites or Fraternities, Sororities and Other Organizations, and Providing Penalties for Violation Thereof); at SBN 2868 (An Act Prohibiting Hazing and Regulating Other Forms of Initiation Rites of Fraternities, Sororities and Other Organizations and Providing Penalties for Violation Thereof).
Bukod dito, sinusuportahan din ng DoJ ang mga panukalang hakbang kasabay ng paghihikayat sa mga awtoridad ng mga eskuwelahan, kabilang na ang mga opisyal ng barangay, munisipalidad, at mga lungsod na tiyakin ang regulasyon ng initiation rites. (Leonard Postrado)
