Solano names frat brods in Senate hazing probe

John Paul Solano. SCREENGRAB from Senate of the Philippines YouTube

John Paul Solano, one of the primary suspects in the death of Horacio “Atio” Castillo III, identified on Wednesday his fraternity brothers, who were at the Aegis Juris library in Manila on the day he found the “unconscious” University of Santo Tomas (UST) freshman law student.

Solano, in his sworn affidavit that was made public during the resumption of the Senate committee on public order’s investigation into Castillo’s death, named Oliver John Onofre, Axel Hipe, Arvin Balaga and Mark Ventura as those fraternity members present inside the library.

READ: Senate releases Solano testimony on Atio hazing death

Asked by committee chairman Senator Panfilo Lacson to confirm Solano’s testimony, Onofre, Hipe, Balag and Ventura all invoked their right against self-incrimination.

In earlier hearings, Solano only said that a fraternity colleague called him and asked him to go to the fraternity library on the morning of September 17. Invoking his right against self-incrimination, Solano did not name the persons involved.

According to Solano, it was Onofre who phoned him and asked him to go to the Aegis Juris fraternity library; and that Onofre did not tell him the reason why they needed him to go to there.

“Sabi niya, ‘Punta ka dito sa frat library’. Sabi ko, ‘Hindi ako pwede’. After that, tumawag ulit 7:10 a.m. Sabi ko, ‘Brod, bakit?’. Sabi, ‘Brod, kaillangan ka talaga namin’. Sabi ko, ‘Ano ba nangyari?’. Sabi ni OJ, ‘May nag-collapse’,” read his affidavit.

Riding his motorcycle, Solano then left his father’s clinic at around 7:30 a.m. and arrived at the fraternity library around 8:30 a.m.

“Pagdating ko po doon, I opened the door, I knocked muna so tiningnan nila na ako iyong dumating. I opened the door, I found Atio was lying. By that time, hindi ko pa ma-confirm na siya ‘yon. Sabi ko, ‘Sino ito?’ Pangalan, ‘Hor’,” Solano’s affidavit read.

“Because basic po ng first aid, paglapag niyo po, kailangan niyo siyang sigawan at tawagin sa name niya. So, SOP po iyon. So sabi ko, ‘Hor, Hor is that you? Sabi ko, ‘Hor, naririnig mo ba ako?’” it also stated.

Solano narrated, however, that when he checked, Castillo’s pupils were already dilated and that the victim had no pulse. It was at this point, Solano said, that he administered CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on Castillo.     /kga