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AS authorities were still trying to get to the bottom of the kidnap-slaying of a University of Santo Tomas student, another UST student said Wednesday he has been getting death threats as a result of an exposé about alleged corruption in the school's Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).

Engineering student Romulo Yumul was last reported to be still in hiding following the disappearance of his classmate Mark Chua last March 15.

Chua's body was fished out of the Pasig River under the Jones Bridge on March 18, wrapped in a carpet and bound with strips of cloth and packing tape.

Last December, Chua and Yumul led other students in filing a complaint with the Department of National Defense about the alleged corruption in the UST Department of Military Science and Tactics (DMST).

Commandant dismissed
The complaint led to the dismissal of UST-ROTC commandant Maj. Demy Tejares and his entire staff last January.

Chua's father, Welson, has claimed that they also received a death threat in the form of a letter before his son's abduction.

"We know who did it but we have to get evidence," he said in an interview with the UST campus organ The Varsitarian.

"I hope his death won't make everyone afraid to continue what he was [fighting] against," the elder Chua said. "He paid for it with his life. I hope it meant something."

In a previous interview, Yumul said he was supposed to accompany Chua on March 15 to a meeting with an agent of a "student intelligence network." He declined the offer, however.

Chua said he received a call from his son's kidnappers early March 16. The kidnappers asked for P3 million, which the Chuas immediately refused.

"They said 'No money, no son,' and then hung up," Chua recalled. "That was the last time they called."

In The Varsitarian's Feb. 21 issue, several students aired various grievances against ROTC officials, including the sale of overpriced uniform accessories and lecture manuals.

Gun-poking incident
The campus paper also reported a gun-poking incident allegedly involving DMST staff administrator Genesis Binagatan and former cadet officer Paul Tan

Kristoffer Lein Ylagan, an UST ROTC technical sergeant, said he personally witnessed the incident involving Binagatan and Tan.

"I was in the field when Binagatan reprimanded Tan for punishing several cadets despite the latter's relief from his assignment," Ylagan said. "Tan answered back, which angered Binagatan."

Binagatan allegedly drew his .45 caliber pistol, then used the weapon to terrorize Tan and another cadet officer, Arnulfo Aparri, for not following orders.

Unfazed, the two cadet officers just laughed at Binagatan's threat, saying that he was the laughingstock of the whole ROTC class.
"Binagatan then went into his office and called Aparri whom he proceeded to hit on the chest," Ylagan added.

Binagatan, for his part, has admitted drawing his gun during the incident but denied pointing the weapon at the two cadet officers.

"I took up criminology. If I point a gun at a person, I'd rather shoot. Gun-poking is just the same as frustrated murder," Binagatan said.

-- David Dizon

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•   UST, anong ginagawa nyo?? - anak ng chimay 03/28/2001 •   ROTC? - Pinoy Na Pinoy 03/29/2001 •   ROTC? - Pinoy Na Pinoy 03/29/2001 •   UST officials reminds me of our previous and current gov't. - RAMBO CANON 03/29/2001 •   Sinungaling Si Binagatan - Son Goku 03/29/2001 •   Dapat abolish na ROTC!!!!, Boy Scout na lang lahat!!, lagi pang handa, ika nga!! - Tiga Sin 03/29/2001 View Comments »