By Nancy Carvajal
A member of Tau Gamma Phi (TGP) chapter at Adamson University (AdU) claimed he was enticed to join the fraternity after being promised an allowance of P3,000 per semester and help for his studies from his so-called brothers.
21-year-old Ryan Camanyang, a third year electrical engineering student at AdU, said in a sworn affidavit that he accepted a friend’s invitation to join the fraternity last December due in part to the prospect of forming connections.
Camanyang said recruiting new members also came with the promise of enduring fewer “trads” or hits with a paddle during initiation rites.
“Mga benepisyo na pwede naming makuha tulad ng P3000, kada semester na allowance, at sinasabi nila na merong mga professor na miyembro ng TGP na makakatulong sa aming pag-aaral, pagkakaroon ng mga koneksyon sa bawat lugar, at pormalidad na lang and ibibigay sa amin na bente kwatro trads (palo) pero kung meron pang ibang ma-recruit ay hahatiin na lang ang 24 trads sa amin kaya kami napasali sa grupo,” he said in the affidavit.
Camanyang claimed to have seen the lifeless body of fellow AdU student John Matthew Salilig after they underwent TGP’s initiation rites last month. He has submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation hundreds of pages of conversations in the chat group he joined with other TGP members, which contained details about the events leading to the supposed hazing of neophytes.
An autopsy of Salilig’s body revealed that he died from “severe blunt force in the lower extremities.” He was reportedly hit with a paddle 70 times during the initiation rites in Biñan, Laguna.
Camanyang’s father turned emotional as he shared to Politiko the advice he gave his son. They went to the NBI together to provide additional information to agents on the case.
“Hindi ko alam kasama siya. Sana hindi masira ang kinabukasan niya. Sinabi ko rin sa kanya na sabihin lahat ng alam niya sa nangyari sa investigators,” said Camanyang’s father, who declined to be named.
