UP Student Council suspends Upsilon members

MANILA - The University Student Council (USC) of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman has placed on preventive suspension three officers who are members of the fraternity involved in a hazing incident that left a student severely injured.

In a statement on Saturday, the USC said it has implemented the House Rules on Incidents of Organized Violence and Discrimination following reports on the recent hazing incident.

It said a fact-finding committee composed of USC members has been appointed to spearhead the investigation.

Three officers who are members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity -- USC Vice Chairperson JP delas Nieves, USC Councilor Carl Santos, and College of Business Administration (CBA) Representative to the USC Aaron Letaba -- have been suspended from July 4 until July 14, the date of the next regular general assembly (GA).

But the USC clarified that the preventive suspension is not a punishment.

"[It] instead serves as recourse to protect the integrity of the investigation as well as the right against self-incrimination of the USC member under suspension," it said.

The USC said an emergency GA will be held on July 7, during which they will decide on their immediate plans of action regarding fraternity-related violence.

The Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity has been identified as the group behind the initiation rites that sent a 17-year-old student to the hospital for severe injuries.

UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan said the hazing victim's family will file charges against the fraternity.

Fratmen involved in the incident could face suspension or expulsion from the university as well as criminal charges for violating the Anti-Hazing Law.