UST Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina INQUIRER.net File Photo
Embattled University of the Santo Tomas (UST) Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo T. Divina called on his fraternity brothers on Thursday to come forward like Marc Anthony Ventura and “spill the beans” about the death of hazing victim Horacio Tomas “Atio” Castillo III.
Divina welcomed Ventura’s decision to seek protection from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and urged the frat man-turned-state witness to tell the whole truth in the “spirit of remorse.”
READ: Frat man testifies 10 brods took part in fatal hazing
“The decision of Marc Ventura, one of the Aegis Juris members involved in the hazing of Atio Castillo, to come out and shed light on the facts is a most welcome development,” Divina said in a statement.
“I trust that Mr. Ventura tell the whole truth in the spirit of remorse. I hope that others will follow suit,” he added.
Ventura sought protection of the DOJ on Tuesday to narrate the events that transpired leading to the death of Castillo, a neophyte of UST Faculty of Civil Law-based fraternity, Aegis Juris.
He said he was present during Castillo’s four-hour initiation rite, which included physical and psychological torture acts such as paddling, punching, and making him swallow a cup of spittle.
Ventura said at least 10 members of the fraternity took turns in beating and whacking Castillo with a wooden paddle. The neophyte then collapsed on the fifth paddle, and at this point, a member suggested that they drip candle wax on Castillo’s body to see if he would respond to the pain to no avail.
This was the time when John Paul Solano, another frat member and a licensed medical technologist, was summoned to check on the victim. He then suggested to take Castillo to the nearest hospital after failing to revive him.
Castillo’s death sparked public outrage and resurrected calls to amend the anti-hazing law, which, some lawmakers said, failed to curb violence in fraternities and sororities.
Ventura was one of the 18 frat men facing murder, perjury, obstruction of justice, and violation of anti-hazing law complaints before the DOJ. /jpv