MANILA, Philippines -- Police investigators are eyeing the involvement of two lawyers in the death of University of the Philippines (UP) senior public administration student Cris Mendez.

Investigators at the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said they were able to establish that aside from some 15 UP students, most of them members of the Sigma Rho Fraternity, two lawyers were also present during the initiation rites conducted in a house in Bonifacio Village, in the village of Pasong Tamo, Pingkian, Quezon City last August 25 and 26.

Superintendent Franklin Mabanag of the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit asked the Philippine Daily Inquirer not to reveal the lawyers’ names to avoid jeopardizing their operations.

All he would say was that the two were Sigma Rho members who graduated from UP in 1996.

Mabanag added that most of the suspects they were investigating were from influential families with deep roots in the fraternity.

The UP Diliman student disciplinary tribunal is still hearing the administrative charges filed by the Diliman Legal Office against 12 officers and members of the Sigma Rho fraternity for misconduct in the form of hazing and lack of respect for university rules.

Among the respondents were four College of Law students: Cruz’s son, Mico, Marcelino Veloso III, Keefe Eldrick dela Cruz and Juan Paolo Fajardo. Also named respondents were Ariel Paolo Ante, Jose Bernardo Clemente Reginald Agustin, Ryan Baccay, Andrew Selah Dela Rosa, and Jose Andoni Santos.

The SDT, the Philippine Daily Inquirer learned, will summon the students to allow them to defend themselves before the body.