Former PMA cadet Julius Carlo Tadena was found guilty of less serious physical injuries while his former co-cadet Christian Zacarias slight physical injuries resulting to the death of their underclass, then 4th class cadet Darwin Dormitorio, 20, on September 18, 2019 at the Philippine Military Academy.
Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 1 Presiding meted the two with 30 days of detention and each pay the family of Dormitorio P100,000 and P50,000 for attorney’s fee.
Dormitorio died on September 18, 2019 inside the cadets barracks at Fort del Pilar, here. The Cagayan de Oro native was found unconscious in a room at the PMA’s Mayo Hall and was rushed to the PMA hospital on September 17, 2019 but died the next day.
According to autopsy results, Dormitorio died due to blunt force trauma. Based on the investigations, he was a victim of hazing and beaten up because he lost a pair of combat boots a senior cadet entrusted to him.
Judge Mabalot though acquitted PMA doctors Capt. Flor Apple Apostol, Major Maria Ofelia Beloy, and Lt. Col. Caesar Candelaria of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide.
In reaction, Lawyer Jose Adrian Bonifacio, speaking in behalf of the Dormitorios said, “the fight is not over,” while the family is seeking justice for the slain cadet. “Zacarias and Tadena will not be set free anytime soon even with the judgment today,” he continued, noting also that ‘Zacarias and Tadena were found guilty of the Court Martial with a penalty of reclusion temporal more than a month ago’.
Bonifacio further cited that Tadena is still facing charges of hazing before RTC 5 here. “What is important now for us is to terminate the case of Imperial, Lumbag and Tadena at RTC 5 for hazing and murder.”
With regards to the acquittal of the three PMA doctors, “we still have pending medical malpractice cases against (them) at PRC Manila.”
On the last week of June in 2020, the Baguio City Prosecutor’s Office indicted former cadets Shalimar Imperial Jr. and Felix Lumbag Jr., and Capt. Apostol, Major Beloy and Lt. Col. Candelaria of murder together with Tadena for less serious physical injuries and Zacarias for slight physical injuries. Murder charges against the three military doctors were dropped.
The Dormitorio’s filed hazing, torture and murder against former First-Class Cadet Axl Rey Sanupao, 2nd Class Cadet Zacarias, and 3rd Class Cadets Rey David John Volante, Tadena, John Vincent Manalo, Felix Lumbag Jr. and Shalimar Imperial.
Also dropped by the Baguio Prosecutor’s Office in June 2020 were the hazing, torture and for dereliction of duty charges versus former PMA chief Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista and former commandant of cadets Brig. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro.