Hazing hits PNPA again weeks after PNP chief vowed crackdown

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

April 10, 2026 | 10:29am

Trigger warning: Physical violence

MANILA, Philippines — More than 20 cadets at the Philippine National Police Academy were reportedly burned with a mixture of drain cleaner and muriatic acid by fellow cadets in the latest hazing scandal to hit the country's premier police training institution.

The incident reportedly surfaced on Good Friday, April 3, inside Barracks 2 of the PNPA compound in Silang, Cavite. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group took the suspects into custody, and the Tactical Officer of the Day was relieved while the investigation continues.

PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. confirmed the agency's response in a statement on Friday, April 10.

"The PNP will not protect, tolerate, or excuse any act of hazing or abuse. Those found responsible will face full legal accountability, administrative sanctions, and the loss of the privilege to serve in the institution," Nartatez said. "There will be no cover-up and no leniency."

Command responsibility would be strictly applied, Nartatez added, and any lapse in leadership or supervision would be addressed under existing rules.

The National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) separately condemned the incident. Commissioner Rafael Calinisan called it "a blatant violation of the law, a direct affront to human dignity, and absolutely intolerable."

NAPOLCOM will constitute a task force to investigate the incident, Calinisan said. Officers who failed to enforce discipline — whether through negligence, tolerance, or inaction — will also face scrutiny, he said.

Weeks after 'zero tolerance' speech

The scandal took place barely a month after Nartatez stood before PNPA alumni on March 14 and spoke out against the academy's hazing problem. The PNP chief had said in his speech that all violators caught would be "dismissed immediately."

"Tough training should build character, not break bones," the PNP chief said during the 46th Grand Alumni Homecoming. "We want officers who are tough because they are competent, not because they survived abuse."

It also comes two months after a separate hazing crisis hit the PNP ranks. In February, the entire Regional Mobile Force Battalion 14B in Basilan was relieved after over 100 newly graduated recruits were beaten with wooden sticks during reception rites.  Twelve members of the battalion were criminally charged. Up to 129 rookies suffered hematoma and contusions.  

Recurring scandal

The PNPA has faced hazing allegations repeatedly over the past several years.

In September 2021, Cadet 3rd Class George Karl Magsayo died after being punched five times in the stomach by upperclassman Cadet 2nd Class Steven Caesar Maingat inside their dormitory in Silang. Magsayo was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

In November 2019, Cadet 4th Class John Desiderio was hospitalized with internal bleeding after being hazed. Four cadets were charged with violating the Anti-Hazing Law.

In 2018, three cadets were dismissed for forcing two underclassmen to perform oral sex — a scandal then-DILG Secretary Eduardo Año called a "smear" on the academy's image. Then-Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the case would be a test for the newly signed Anti-Hazing Act of 2018, a law that has since then been criticized for failing to cure the culture of secrecy surrounding hazing incidents.

In March 2018, nine cadets were criminally charged for mauling upperclassmen right after graduation ceremonies. It was an incident that then-PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa described as a "bawian" or payback tradition that "promotes a cycle of violence."

The Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 (Republic Act 11053) banned all forms of hazing outright whether within fraternities or uniformed service institutions like the PNPA. The law carries reclusion perpetua and a fine of up to P3 million when hazing results in death, rape, sodomy, or mutilation. Those who plan or facilitate hazing face a temporary reclusion and a P1-million fine.