Quest for justice for Atio continues even after funeral

Horacio Castillo III’s wake at Santuario de San Antonio Parish in Makati City. PATHRICIA ROXAS / INQUIRER.net

While Horacio “Atio” Castillo III’s wake would come to an end, his family and friends said their fight for justice continues.

Castillo’s friend for 15 years, Robin Locson expressed hope that the people involved in Castillo’s “tragic event” would step up and surrender to the authorities.

“It is very depressing to see the family dealing with several things at the moment including this. I hope that the authorities would deal with this case with utmost respect and sincerity,” Locson told INQUIRER.net.

“Bringing justice for Horacio and all the victims related to the case can help ease the pain of the families they left. All we can do now is to hope for a rightful investigation and to spread awareness regarding Horacio,” he added.

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

Castillo, a University of Santo Tomas (UST) freshman law student, will be laid to rest on Wednesday afternoon, more than a week after his death due to alleged hazing on September 17.

Castillo’s family said there will be a short mass at the Santuario de San Antonio Parish in Forbes Park, Makati City at 2:00 p.m., before the convoy proceeds to the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City.

The funeral is open to the public, especially to Castillo’s friends and classmates, the family added.

Aside from the Manila Police District’s investigations, the House of Representatives and the Senate have also initiated separate probes on Castillo’s death.

In an executive session conducted after the Senate’s first hearing last Monday, one of the prime suspects, John Paul Solano, named the members of the Aegis Juris fraternity who were allegedly present during its initiation rites, when Solano was believed to have been killed. /idl

READ: Solano ‘named names’ in Senate executive session