UST hazing suspect wants out of jail due to virus

MANILA, Philippines — The mother of Horacio “Atio” Castillo III, a law freshman from the University of Santo Tomas who died in September 2017 due to hazing, denounced as “premature” a motion from one of the 10 accused Aegis Juris fraternity members for his temporary release from detention due to the threat of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In a Facebook post, Minnie Castillo said the temporary release of Danielle Hans Matthew Rodrigo from the Manila City Jail would be “an injustice.”

“There is no need to release inmates. Setting them free could result [in] chaos rather than calm, more injustice rather than justice, and more harm than good,” she said on Monday.

More than ready

Castillo added that she believed the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology was “more than ready” to address the situation and that there were many other options and safety nets available to protect the inmates.

In a motion for temporary release on recognizance dated April 13, defense lawyers told the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 20 that the city jail was one of the “most notorious” and congested facilities in the country, putting the life of the accused in “great danger.”