10 Aegis Juris fratmen found guilty over hazing death of UST law freshman Atio Castillo
A Manila court on Oct. 1 found 10 fraternity members behind the death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law freshman Horacio "Atio" Castillo III guilty of violating Republic Act No. 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law.
The Philippine STAR reported that Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 11 sentenced the following Aegis Juris fratmen to reclusion perpetua:
- Arvin Balag
- Mhin Wei Chan
- Axel Hipe
- Ralph Trangia
- Oliver Onofre
- Joshua Macabali
- Robin Ramos
- Marcelino Bagtang
- Hans Rodrigo
- Jose Salamat
Reclusion perpetua carries a maximum sentence of 40 years. It also prevents those who are convicted from holding public office forever.
The 10 men were also ordered to jointly pay Castillo’s family P461,800 in actual damages, P75,000 in civil indemnity, P75,000 in moral damages, and P15,000 in exemplary damages. All amounts will accrue an annual interest of 6% until fully paid.
Reacting to the decision, Castillo's mom Carmina called the guilty verdict a "team effort."
"We placed our 100% and we got the conviction. At this point, I would like to say that I’m holding the University of Santo Tomas accountable for the death of our son," she said in an ambush interview with reporters.
Castillo's father Horacio, for his part, said, "It’s about time heads should roll in UST."
The fratmen faced a murder complaint, but the Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped it in 2018, saying the element of intent to kill was missing. The DOJ explained that the fraternity members’ “intention was merely to inflict physical harm as part of the fraternity initiation rites.”
The Oct. 1 verdict came after seven years since Castillo's death.
According to The Varsitarian, the fratmen were ordered arrested in March 2018. They surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) shortly afterward.
In May of that year, they were transferred from the NBI to Manila City Jail, where they were detained without bail.
They sought to dismiss the charges filed against them, citing lack of evidence. Their petition was denied.
Castillo died during the fraternity's initiation rites on Sept. 17, 2017. He was 22.
An autopsy showed that Castillo had suffered severe blunt traumatic injuries after being paddled and punched for hours, leading to his death.
Castillo's hazing death is among the most controversial hazing cases in recent history, sparking Senate hearings that led to the passage of a stronger anti-hazing measure, RA 11053.
RA 11053, or the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018, amends RA 8049, imposing a penalty of reclusion perpetua and a fine of P2 million on individuals behind hazing rites that may result in the death, rape, sodomy, or mutilation of a prospective member.