‘Hiding won’t do you good’: Frat men in hazing death urged to surface

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)

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Saturday appealed to those involved in the fatal hazing of University of Santo Tomas (UST) freshman law student Horacio Tomas “Atio” Castillo III to surface and tell all they know about his death.

Aguirre called on those who were present in Castillo’s hazing to come out and yield as the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a hotline for the swift resolution of the case.

“To those who know anything about what happened to Horacio Castillo III, if you were there when it happened, then you have blood on your hands, time to wash it with the truth and with justice for Atio,” Aguirre said in a statement.

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

“Hiding will not do you any good. Running from the truth is like being locked up in a jail with no bars. By your silence, you have already imprisoned yourself,” he added.

“We are waiting for your call, do no injustice, suffer no injustice.”

On Friday, a suspect in the hazing, John Paul Solano surrendered to deny that he was part of the initiation rites, saying he was just called to give medical assistance to Castillo.

READ: Frat man in hazing death yields

Castillo was a freshman student at the UST Faculty of Civil Law who was killed in the hazing of the Aegis Juris fraternity last week. He was found dead in Tondo, Manila early Monday with his body bloated, full of candle wax drippings and wrapped in a blanket.

His death has drawn condemnation and resurrected the call for a stricter anti-hazing law.

The DOJ hotline is 0995-442-9241. Prank calls are obviously discouraged /idl