Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Members of the Aegis Juris fraternity involved in the death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III may have already left the country, Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri revealed Wednesday.
“I have also received reports that the members of the Aegis Juris fraternity were told to leave the country or probably some may have already left the country, thus I call on our authorities to place them under watch list or on hold departure order by the Bureau of Immigration,” Zubiri said in his privilege speech.
Zubiri also sneered at UST Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina’s order to suspend the fraternity members and bar them from campus. He said it is “highly suspicious” as it could give the investigators “a hard time in locating and finding the members and ask them about the case.”
“Thus, I challenge Dean Divina and other faculty members of the UST Faculty of Civil Law who are also members of the Aegis Juris to cooperate in the investigation and to tell all that they know about the incident,” he added.
Divina was the founder of the Aegis Juris fraternity.
In a separate interview, Zubiri said he does not believe that Divina does not personally know those involved in the brutal initiation rites.
“Impossible, hindi ako naniniwala na hindi niya kilala itong mga to. At least ‘yung nandoon nu’ng nangyaring ‘yon kasi siya po yung founder ng fraternity na to,” Zubiri told reporters.
(It’s impossible, I don’t believe that he doesn’t know these people. At least those who were there when it happened because he’s the founder of this fraternity.)
READ: UST suspends Aegis Juris fratmen pending probe into fatal hazing
The Department of Justice on Wednesday has issued an immigration lookout bulletin order against Aegis Juris members.
Zubiri vowed that he would push for the amendment of Republic Act No. 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law and increase the penalties for offenders to prevent another “brutal and senseless death.”
The senator pointed out that since the law’s enactment in 1995, dozens had been reportedly killed due to hazing and only one had been convicted of the crime.
“So much senseless deaths, my dearest colleagues, so much wasted youth, the bright future of these students suddenly gone, as was the case of Atio Castillo,” Zubiri said.
READ: DOJ issues lookout order vs Aegis Juris members
Zubiri on Tuesday filed Senate Resolution No. 504, which called for an investigation, in aid of legislation, into Castillo’s death./idl