A cadet from a maritime school in Laguna passed away after being subjected to punishment by his instructor.
The victim was identified as 19-year-old Cadet Vince Andrew Delos Reyes, a native of Baco, Oriental Mindoro, and a student cadet at the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy in Canlubang, Calamba City, Laguna.
According to an initial report from the Calamba City police, the incident occurred on Monday, July 8. After dinner, Delos Reyes was resting in the barracks with four other cadets when he was summoned by their instructor for an alleged offense.
The offense in question involved Delos Reyes accidentally reacting with a thumbs-up emoji in their cadet group chat conversation.
As punishment, the instructor ordered Delos Reyes to perform physical exercises. However, after a prolonged period, Delos Reyes began experiencing difficulty breathing and eventually collapsed.
Despite being given CPR, Delos Reyes' pulse weakened, prompting immediate transport to the hospital. Unfortunately, he was declared dead on arrival at Global Care Medical Center in Canlubang.
The instructor has been arrested and is currently detained at the Calamba City police station. He faces charges of Reckless Imprudence resulting in Homicide.
