Hazing witness tags 9 more brods; UST dean on lookout list

UST Law Dean Nilo Divina during the Senate inquiry into the fatal hazing of UST Law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

The fraternity initiation rites that led to the death of Horacio “Atio” Castillo III allegedly involved up to 24 Aegis Juris members, including nine named by a witness recently granted government protection.

According to sources privy to the affidavit of fraternity member Marc Anthony Ventura, he and 23 others took part in Castillo’s initiation rites in the wee hours of Sept. 17 at the Aegis Juris library near the University of Santo Tomas (UST) campus in Manila.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Wednesday announced that Ventura had been admitted into the Witness Protection Program (WPP). Aguirre withheld Ventura’s affidavit from the media, but quoted him as saying that at least 10 fraternity members took turns beating Castillo for about four hours.

Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes on Thursday explained that the WPP prevents the DOJ from making Ventura’s statement public.

According to DOJ insiders, Ventura confirmed the participation of 23 other members, composed of 14 who are already under investigation by the DOJ, and nine who are not covered by the probe as of this writing.

Also on Thursday, Aguirre placed 47 more Aegis Juris officials and members, including UST Faculty of Law dean Nilo Divina, under a new immigration lookout bulletin, bringing the number of “persons of interest” in the Castillo case to 67.

The bulletin also includes the parents of Ralph Trangia, one of the suspects, who left the country for a few days after Castillo’s death.

Persons placed under a lookout bulletin may be allowed to leave the country only after securing clearance from the DOJ.

In his order, Aguirre listed 29 persons who were mentioned in the Oct. 18 Senate hearing on the case and “who may be considered persons of interest in the ongoing investigation.”

Aguirre ordered all immigration officers to alert the DOJ and law enforcement agencies should anyone on the list try to leave the country, “to ensure that persons of interest shall remain within our jurisdiction.”

‘Strong possibility’ of flight

“Considering the gravity of the offense allegedly committed, there is a strong possibility that the following individuals may attempt to place themselves beyond the reach of the legal processes by leaving the country,” the secretary said.

The 14 members implicated by Ventura and are already being investigated are Axel Munro Hipe, Ralph Trangia, Oliver John Audrey Onofre, Mhin Wei Chan, Daniel Hans Matthew Rodrigo, Karl Matthew Villanueva, Joshua Joriel Macabali, Marcelino Bagtang, Zimon Padro, Jose Miguel Salamat, Leo Lalusis, Alex Bose, Robin Ramos and the fraternity president, Arvin Balag.

The nine others named by Ventura but not yet covered by the probe are Edric Pilapil, Zach Abulencia, Daniel Ragos, Dave Felix, Sam Cagalingan, Alex Cairo, Luis Kapulong, Kim Cyrill Roque and Ged Villanueva.

Bose reportedly had a female companion who was also present during the hazing.

Hazing started with prayer

The Sept. 17 initiation rites were said to be have started at 2 a.m. with a prayer and Castillo doing stretching exercises. The fraternity brothers then took turns punching Castillo’s arms and pressed a spatula against his bruises to reduce the swelling.

After throwing punches, they hit the UST law freshman on the thighs with paddles. Castillo was close to collapsing after the third hit but said yes when the fraternity members asked if he could still go on. He passed out after being whacked for the fourth time.

They called up fraternity member John Paul Solano, a licensed medical technologist, asking him to come over and help revive Castillo. Some fraternity members had already carried the dying Castillo to a pickup when Solano arrived, and decided to bring the neophyte back to the library.

Unable to revive Castillo, Solano was told to bring him to Chinese General Hospital, where Castillo was declared dead on arrival.

Aside from Divina, also on the latest DOJ lookout bulletin are his fellow trustees of Aegis Foundation Inc., including a Court of Appeals justice and a former provincial prosecutor who passed away in 2013.

The other trustees on the list were identified as Arthur Capili, William Merginie, Cezar Tirol, Oscar Ce, Alexander Flores, Alvin Dysangco, Emmanuel Velasco, Henry Pablo, Gabriel Robeniol, Michael Joseph Fernandez, Allan Christopher Agati, Paulino Yusi, Arnel Bernardo and Edwin Uy.

Robeniol has been a CA associate justice based in Cebu since 2015, while Emmanuel Velasco was the Cavite provincial prosecutor when he died of a heart attack in 2013.