Filipino police cadet’s death sparks call for hazing probe

Filipino police cadet’s death sparks call for hazing probe

Rights groups in the Philippines have called for an investigation into the death of a Muslim police cadet who they believe could have died due to maltreatment at the country’s police academy.

Hazing Prevention Philippines, a non-profit organization, urged authorities on June 20 to conduct an autopsy on cadet Rafael Sakkam to establish the circumstances surrounding his June 18 death and whether his rights were abused.

Sakkam collapsed on June 7 after finishing a long run as part of his training at the Philippine National Police Academy in Cavite province, south of Manila. 

He collapsed due to heatstroke, Philippine media reported the academy as saying.

The anti-hazing group, however, urged academy and government officials to conduct an investigation, saying Sakkam had complained of a health problem that was ignored.

“We don’t know if he was maltreated before he did the exercises. We received reports that he already complained about breathing difficulties yet he still joined the run,” the group said in a statement.

“It hurts so much to lose a son but we can’t do anything about it. In our faith as Muslims, it’s only Allah who knows, so we accept it wholeheartedly, no matter how hard it is”

Hazing is still practiced in military and police academies despite being outlawed. At least 40 deaths have been attributed to hazing in these and other educational institutions in the Philippines over the past few decades, rights groups say. 

Calls for an investigation into Sakkim’s death also came from a group of Catholic mothers called Mothers like Mary, which said a probe is necessary to clear the police academy of any doubt related to hazing or torture within the institution.

“For transparency’s sake, there has to be a … report to prove or disprove the absence of hazing or torture. As mothers, we feel the pain of losing a child. It is more painful if the cause of death is because of other people’s lack of mercy,” spokesperson Marina Cruz told UCA News.

The calls for a probe come despite the cadet’s family accepting what had happened to him.

“It hurts so much to lose a son but we can’t do anything about it. In our faith as Muslims, it’s only Allah who knows, so we accept it wholeheartedly, no matter how hard it is,” Philippine media quoted his father, Brainer Sakkam, as saying.

“We accept it, especially because he was taken when he was trying to reach his dream to become a policeman.” 

Cruz said the cadet’s father may have accepted his son’s faith but it did not mean that justice could not be served if certain individuals caused his son’s death.

“We know that we need to accept wholeheartedly the will of God, no matter what. But if harm was inflicted on Rafael Sakkam, then it is another story. There is a crime and the perpetrators should pay,” she said.