Zubiri dares UST hazing suspect to tell truth

FILE: Zubiri made this call after Solano surrendered to the office of Senator Panfilo Lacson and eventually to the Manila Police District (MPD) Friday afternoon. (Photo: Senator Migz Zubiri/ Facebook)

MANILA — Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri on Friday welcomed the surrender of John Paul Solano, one of the suspects in the fatal hazing of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III, urging him to finally tell the truth.

“JP Solano should now tell everything he knows truthfully having misled everyone at the start,”

Zubiri said in a press statement.

Zubiri made this call after Solano surrendered to the office of Senator Panfilo Lacson and eventually to the Manila Police District (MPD) Friday afternoon.

He also thanked UST Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina for accompanying Solano to the Senate.

“The surrender of JP Solano is a positive development. I welcome his surrender and appreciate Dean Divina’s efforts in facilitating Solano’s surrender,” the senator said.

Zubiri, meanwhile, urged other members of the Aegis Juris fraternity to follow suit.

“The others involved should now come out of the shadows and tell all they know about Atio’s death,” Zubiri said.

He said the Senate’s stricter recommendations will be for the good of all fraternities and similar organizations.

The senator said the institution is really bent on putting an end to frat-related violence and death.

On Wednesday, Zubiri filed a resolution calling for a probe into the death of Castillo. Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV also filed a similar measure calling for a probe.

Zubiri, in a privilege speech, said that he personally visited the wake of Castillo Tuesday night and had the chance to talk to his father, Horacio Jr., who was his grade school and high school classmate in Colegio San Agustin. He also extended his condolences to Castillo’s family. (PNA)