Aegis Juris members in Atio case surrender to NBI

FILE: Slain University of Santo Tomas (UST) law freshman Horatio ‘Atio’ Castillo III (Photo: horaciocastilloIII/Facebook)

The members of the Aegis Juris fraternity suspected to be behind the hazing initiation that killed University of Santo Tomas (UST) law freshman student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on March 23.

Ten members namely Marcelino Bagtang, Jr., Arvin Balag, Mhiin Wei Chan, Joshua Joriel Macabali, Axel Munro Hipe, Oliver Onofre, John Robin Ramos, Hans Matthew Rodrigo, Jose Miguel Salamat, and Ralph Trangia were brought to the NBI compound.

In an interview with the media, NBI Deputy Director and Spokesman Atty. Ferdinand Lavin said that the 10 were “picked up” and brought to the headquarters.

“We will prepare a return informing the court of the fact of the arrest of the 10 named in the warrant and then the court decides, if the court says they stay with the NBI then we will keep them.

If the court says we should transfer them, then we will transfer them,” Lavin said.

Earlier this month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) formally charged the said members

No bail was recommended for the law students, and the highest penalty for their violation of the anti-hazing law is life imprisonment.

However, John Paul Solano, the frat member who brought Castillo’s body to the Chinese General Hospital after the hazing can file a bail after DOJ charged him with perjury and obstruction of justice.

“The presence and participation of the said respondents in the initiation rites were established by the statements of both Solano and Ventura. As regards respondents Balag and Trangia, their presence and participation are further corroborated by the fact that their respective vehicles were used to transport Atio’s body to Chinese General Hospital,” the DOJ resolution read.

Furthermore, UST Law Dean Nilo Divina was spared from all the charges filed against him and his faculty secretary Arthur Capili “for insufficiency of evidence.”

The Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 40 through Judge Alfredo Ampuan released a warrant of arrest to the involved fratmen on March 22.