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Ren Joseph Bayan, a Grade 11 student from Jaen, Nueva Ecija, died of supposed fraternity hazing in the neighboring town of San Leonardo on September 29, 2024, the same day he left for the initiation rites.

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Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1727919635133viber_image_2024-10-03_09-27-57-614.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Ren Joseph Bayan, a Grade 11 student from Jaen, Nueva Ecija, died of supposed fraternity hazing in the neighboring town of San Leonardo on September 29, 2024, the same day he left for the initiation rites.  </div>(UPDATE) One of the suspects in the supposed hazing death of 18-year-old Ren Joseph Bayan surrendered to the Jaen Municipal Police Station in Nueva Ecija on Wednesday, hoping to clear his name.The man allegedly owns the property where Bayan and several other neophytes underwent initiation rites to join the local chapter of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.According to the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office, based on the suspect’s statement, he gave his frat men permission to use the lot beside his house.“One week before nung hazing, nagpapaalam kung pwede nilang gamitin yung lugar niya… Pinayagan niya,” said Chief Public Information Officer Capt. Noemi Gogotano.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/10/1/binata-sa-nueva-ecija-patay-sa-hazing-2009">Binata sa Nueva Ecija patay sa hazing</a></div>But in a chance interview with the media, the suspect denied that it happened on his property, adding that he played no part in the actual hazing.“Hindi po sa ‘ming bahay, hindi po namin lupa, hindi po namin bakuran, sa kabilang lote po ‘yun… Wala ako sa pinangyarihan. Two years na ‘kong di naging active dyan,” he claimed.But Gogotano said his claims need to undergo further verification. For now, he will still be facing charges.“Pagka may nangyaring crime na ganyan, yun talaga yung number 1 na lumalabas na alibi—na wala ako doon, di ako kasama doon,” Gogotano said.<div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3070232"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script></div>So far, authorities have filed a complaint before the Department of Justice against six suspects supposedly involved in the crime.Two of them are the frat members who brought home Bayan’s body to his family last Sunday. They have since gone into hiding.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/1/2-suspek-sa-hazing-sa-nueva-ecija-tukoy-na-ng-pulisya-1638">2 suspek sa hazing sa Nueva Ecija tukoy na ng pulisya</a></div>They face possible charges of murder and violation of the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018. Initially, the police looked at homicide in relation to the anti-hazing law, but the charges were elevated because evidence showed that the hazing could have been premeditated.“Pag murder na, non-bailable na po yan. Hindi na po sila makakapag-piyansa, kung halimbawang, labasan sila ng warrant of arrest,” said Gogotano.The results of the autopsy on Bayan’s body showed that his cause of death was hemorrhagic shock and any kind of heart problem.“Tinignan kung may heart problem ba siya, na baka yun yung nag-trigger sa kanya baka kaya siya namatay. Ok naman daw po, wala namang problema sa puso ng bata. Cause of death talaga is yung contusions sa likod ng hita niya, sobrang pagkakapalo,” said Gogotano.Relatives of the victim were glad that the case was progressing.Bayan’s mother placed a chick on top of her son’s coffin, in the hopes that justice would come sooner.“Naibsan naman po ang naramdaman kong sakit at sana po magpatuloy pa. At sa mga natitirang nagtatago pa, lumantad na po kayo,” she said.“Yan pong sisiw, simbolo na makunsensya na po sila. Para po niyang tinutuka na inuusig sila ng konsensya nila,” she added.She called on the government to further strengthen the implementation of the Anti-Hazing Law.“Para wala na pong isa inang tatangis na mawalan nang buhay (ang anak),” she cried.Bayan, a Grade 11 student from Jaen, Nueva Ecija, died of supposed fraternity hazing in the neighboring town of San Leonardo on September 29, 2024, the same day he left for the initiation rites.

One of the suspects in the supposed hazing death of 18-year-old Ren Joseph Bayan surrendered to the Jaen Municipal Police Station in Nueva Ecija on Wednesday, hoping to clear his name.

One of the suspects in the supposed hazing death of 18-year-old Ren Joseph Bayan surrendered to the Jaen Municipal Police Station in Nueva Ecija on Wednesday, hoping to clear his name.

Suspect in Nueva Ecija teen’s alleged hazing death surrenders to police

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Suspect in Nueva Ecija teen’s alleged hazing death surrenders to police

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 03, 2024 09:56 AM PHT

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Updated October 03, 2024 06:48 PM PHT

Read More:

ABSNews

hazing

Tau Gamma Phi

fraternity

Jaen

Nueva Ecija

Ren Joseph Bayan

crime

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