Police confirm hazing killed UST law student

1st yr UST Law student Horacio Tomas Castillo III was killed in a possible hazing incident by alleged members of Aegis Juris Frat. Photo by Cyrille Cupino of Radyo Inquirer 990AM

The Manila Police District (MPD) has confirmed that hazing killed Horacio Tomas Castillo III, the 22-year-old University of Santo Tomas (UST) freshman law student.

According to MPD Spokesperson Supt. Erwin Margarejo, the victim’s arms were severely smacked with a hard object and bore burns.

Margarejo confirmed suspicions that hazing killed Horacio.

“At the Emergency room of the Chinese General Hospital, the victim was declared dead on arrival at about 9:21 a.m., September 17, 2017,” MPD’s separate media release said.

“The victim suffered hematoma on both upper arms, while bruises and drips of candle were seen on the different parts of the body,” it added.

Meanwhile, the victim’s mother, Carmina, who waited at the Archangel Funeral Homes where her son underwent an autopsy by the medico-legal of the MPD, said her son died due to cardiac arrest after suffering from severe injuries.

“Namatay sya, inatake siya sa puso dahil sa injuries nya,” Carmina told INQUIRER.net in a telephone interview.

In an earlier interview, Carmina said her son attended the Aegis Juris fraternity’s welcome ceremony at the UST on Saturday.

READ: Mom of killed UST law student asks: What happened to my son?

She said they even personally sent him to school that morning to attend classes and go to the fraternity’s affair that night.

At around 9:00 p.m., Carmina said her son even texted her that he was in UST with his fraternity brothers, and promised to return home the following day.

But her son did not go home on Sunday. She merely received a text message from an anonymous sender early Monday, telling her that her son was at the Chinese General Hospital.

Carmina also said that she eventually learned that her son was found dumped on a sidewalk in Balut, Tondo, Manila on Sunday —his body bloated, full of drops of candle wax and wrapped in a blanket.

A motorcycle rider, she added, allegedly saw her son and brought him to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

According to the website of UST’s Faculty of Civil Law, the Aegis Juris fraternity is a recognized law school-based fraternity in the campus. /kga

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