Horacio Tomas Castillo III, a 22-year-old freshman law student at the UST, died of a heart attack after suffering injuries due to hazing, allegedly conducted by some members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity. (Photo by CYRILLE CUPINO / Radyo Inquirer)
While maintaining his innocence, John Paul Solano has apologized for the death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) freshman law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III and for giving “false statement” to the victim’s family.
“First and foremost, I’d like to apologize for giving false statement for that matter, to the family of Atio and also for the death of their son,” Solano, one of the prime suspects in Castillo’s death, said in an interview when he surfaced on Friday at the office of Senator Panfilo Lacson.
“I would shed light to this matter through my Attorney. They are preparing a statement,” he added.
Asked why he decided to come out, Solano said: “Actually, it’s getting worse. We can say it’s getting worse.”
“I want to clear my name because I know myself, I’m innocent,” he further said.
Manila Police District (MPD) chief Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel earlier tagged Solano and two others — Antonio Trangia, and son Ralph, as “primary suspects” in the killing of Castillo, who was reportedly found dumped in Balut, Tondo Manila last September 17.
Autopsy results showed that the victim died of hazing. Solano and Ralph Trangia are members of the Aegis Juris fraternity.
READ: Police confirm hazing killed UST law student
In a sworn statement with the MPD, Solano claimed he found Castillo’s body on the pavement in Tondo and brought it to the Chinese General Hospital (CGH). But an MPD investigation later showed that a red pickup truck was used to bring Castillo to the CGH. The vehicle was later traced under the name of Antonio Trangia.
Lacson has consequently turned over Solano’s custody to the MPD through Coronel.
Solano admitted that he is a member of the fraternity and that he was a law student at the UST until 2016.
But he said he did not know Castillo personally. He said he just met the victim twice — first when Castillo introduced himself and the last time was when he provided “medical assistance” to the victim, who, he also noted, he found “half-dead” at the time.
Solano claimed that his only “involvement” in the incident was when gave the medical assistance to Castillo.
“Because they were in chaos that time. I was not there, they need medical assistance. I’m a medical health provider so more or less they would call me,” he pointed out.
Asked to narrate the time he found the victim’s body, Solano said: “More or less, he’s half-dead. I can’t give a final verdict that’s he’s dead because I’m not a doctor at that time.”
“So he’s unconscious, I did give him a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and then when I can’t do anything else, I brought him to the hospital,” he added.
/kga