The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is appalled at the recent rise in hazing-related incidents, and calls on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to rush the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) for the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018. This cruel and inhumane practice must end, and it is clear that the longer strict criminalization is delayed the more danger our students are in.

CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III noted in a recent interview that the IRR has been finished, and will add “more teeth” to the anti-hazing law as it includes expanded and stricter penalties that fully criminalize the act.

CHR has always held a strong stance against hazing and it’s consequences. It is a violent practice that has no place in our academic institutions. Over the years, CHR probed hazing-related deaths because students, especially if they are minors, all belong to the youth sector and are considered a vulnerable sector in society. School administrations are duty-bound to uphold and protect the rights of its students, and hazing is a direct violation of their student’s right to safety, security, and a threat to their well-beings.

We urge the government, CHED, and the security sector to ensure proper and complete implementation of the Anti-Hazing Act of 2008 and to practice vigilance in monitoring the country’s schools and universities. CHR also calls on schools and academic institutions to enact systems and mechanisms to help prevent hazing on their campuses, so that we can work together towards a future where the practice has been eliminated completely.