‘Hazing’ victim Bravante’s mom: I never imagined his life ending this way

The mother of criminology student Ahldryn Bravante, who died allegedly due to a fraternity hazing ritual, said it was difficult to forgive the people responsible for the death of her son in the name of “brotherhood.”

In Mariz Umali’s Friday 24 Oras report, OFW Cherryl Bravante said she did not understand why hazing still existed and couldn’t accept that her son was killed in such a manner.

“Di ko na-imagine na matatapos buhay niya ng ganyan eh. Yung ganung way lang mawawala buhay niya. Sayang, kasi ang daming pangarap ng bata. Tapos ganong way lang mawawala,” Cherryl said.

(I never imagined his life ending like this. For it to just end this way, it’s a shame, because the kid had a lot of dreams. And he’s just gone, just like that.)

“Yung hazing, hanggang maaari po sana… Di ko po kasi maintindihan bakit meron noon eh… Kaya ako nagsasakripisyo para makapag-aral lang sila,” she added.

(This hazing, as much as possible… I don’t understand why it exists… I sacrificed so that they could study.)

As Cherryl returned from her job in Oman to be present for the wake of yet another one of her children just months after the death of her eldest son, she said that she couldn’t fully grasp the torture her son went through in his final moments.

“’Yung malaman ko pa po kung ano ginawa, yung panong hirap… ‘Yung hirap na dinanas niya po. Tapos nakakaano pa po yun nagsabi na pala na di siya makahinga, ‘di ba?” Cherryl said.

(And for me to find out what they did, the suffering… the suffering he went through. Then it’s… when he said that he could no longer breathe, right?)

“Torture po yung ginawa eh. Nung pinakita sa amin ng doctor eh nangingitim na po yung mga tama niya sa katawan. Daming paso, sobrang grabe… Pati sa kamay may mga paso din, saka meron pong nakita na may biyak po sa ano… sa leeg… kaya naisip ko parang di talaga bubuhayin yung anak ko eh,” Ahldryn’s father Alexander Bravante added.

(That was torture. When the doctor showed us, the blows to his body were turning black. A lot of burns, too much… even his hands had burns, then they saw a crack in his… his neck… so I thought that they did not intend for my son to survive.)

Meanwhile, Ahldryn also leaves behind his live-in partner and 6-year-old daughter after his death.

“Di ako makapaniwala na patay na po yung papa niya eh… saka iba pa rin po pag may father figure habang pinapalaki yung bata. Pagkasabi ko sa kanya, nakulong na ba daw ng lahat ng gumawa sa kanya? Sabi niya, ‘Will Papa get justice for this?’” Ahldryn’s live-in partner Dalen Gail Blaya said.

(I couldn’t believe her father was dead… and it’s still different for a child to grow up with a father figure. When I told her, she asked if the people who did this to him were in jail. She said, “Will Papa get justice for this?”)

Ahldryn’s family continued their calls for justice, and they asked for the rest of the Tau Gamma Phi members to surrender.

“Yung mga under custody makipagtulungan po sana sila. Tulungan po nila kami na sabihin po lahat, yung totoo pong nangyari tapos yung mga di pa po nahuhuli sana po makonsensya po sila,” Cherryl said.

(I hope the suspects in custody will cooperate. Help us by recounting everything, the truth of what happened, and for those who haven’t been caught yet, I hope they feel guilty.)

Ahldryn’s body is set to be interred at the Rita Samson Memorial Garden and Crematorium on Thursday. — Jiselle Casucian/DVM, GMA Integrated News