Bam urges Aegis Juris frat to participate in police investigation

FILE: Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV. (PNA photo)

Senator Bam Aquino called on the Aegis Juris Fraternity, especially John Paul Solano, to find justice on the death of first-year University of Santo Tomas law student Horacio Castillo III by naming names and by cooperating in the police investigation.

Aquino urged Solano and his lawyer to provide the names of the people who escorted him when he brought Castillo to the Chinese General Hospital for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to track them.

“Makukuha ang hustisya kung maibibigay niyo ang impormasyon [Justice will be served if you would provide information] as soon as possible. The sooner that you’re able to provide this, the sooner the PNP can find the suspects, the sooner the Castillos will find justice,” Aquino told the fraternity during the hearing of the Committee on Public Order on Castillo’s death.

“Habang nagtatagal tayo, habang iniimbestigahan pa ng PNP ang mga numero ng alumni. We’re hoping that you can provide the information as soon as you can para makuha na ng mga Castillo ang hinihingi nilang hustisya at makulong ang mga sangkot dito [As we continue, while the PNP is still investigating the numbers of alumni. We’re hoping that you can provide the information as soon as you can for the Castillo to get the justice they ask for and to cope with those involved],” the senator added.

During the hearing, Castillo’s parents said they first learned of their son’s death only on Monday morning. It was also found out that Aegis Juris officials learned of Castillo’s death even before his parents.

“If the alumni truly want to cooperate, they should be willing to tell us kung saan nanggaling ang mga impormasyon na iyan so the PNP can trace it back [If the alumni truly want to cooperate, they should be willing to tell us their source of information so the PNP can trace it back],” said Aquino.

Nilo Divina, dean of the UST Faculty of Civil Law, informed the senator that he found out about the death Sunday afternoon.

Divina said he received a call from the faculty secretary, lawyer Arthur Capili, on Sunday afternoon about an unconfirmed report on the death of a neophyte member of the fraternity. Divina said he received another call from Capili around 6 p.m., confirming Castillo’s death.

Capili, for his part, said he received the call from a person, whose name he revealed to the PNP following Sen. Bam’s prodding.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bam expects all senators to come in unison in amending and improving the Anti-Hazing Law, saying that these senseless and needless deaths should be stopped and no other young life should be wasted on the barbaric, cruel and heartless practice of hazing.