Death of Atio spells the end of Aegis Juris – uncle

“This is the end of your fraternity.”

The uncle of Horacio “Atio” Castillo III made this declaration as they buried on Wednesday the 22-year-old University of Santo Tomas (UST) freshman law student at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City.

Gerardo Castillo said his nephew was a big loss to the Aegis Juris fraternity, which members have been tagged in the alleged fatal initiation of Atio.

“You’ve lost a great boy, a great member, a great neophyte. He could have made your frat great but you killed him. This is the end of your fraternity,” Gerardo said.

During the funeral service earlier at the Santuario de San Antonio in Makati, Atio’s father, Horacio Jr., delivered an emotional eulogy where he said that members of the Aegis Juris fraternity “robbed (Atio) of his dreams and aspirations.”

He said that Atio is “a good son, a perfect son, the best any parent would ever have.”

“But barely two months after his enrolment, he was brutality murdered at the hands of his initiators,” Horacio Jr. said.

Horacio Jr. called on to his son: “Please pray for us and give us the strength to fight for justice for you and those who lost their lives to hazing.”

“We now let you go because we love you so much, and we want you to be happy. We will miss you, but now go to the light. Don’t worry about us; we will be OK,” he also said.

Family and friends of Atio wore black and white t-shirts bearing the words “Justice for Horacio.” Others wore sticker bands and pins, and brought fans and streamers with the same message.

Horacio Jr. also asked the public to pray for their family “as we continue to life our days without our son.”   with reports from Dexter Cabalza, Philippine Daily Inquirer    /kga