“We all know what is true.”
This was the reaction of Horacio Tomas “Atio” Castillo’s mother, Carminia, to the statement of Arvin Balag claiming there was no evidence that Castillo died of hazing.
“They can say whatever they want. At the end of this, I’m confident na we will get justice,” Carminia told reporters on Tuesday at the Manila Memorial Park where her son was buried.
“They can throw whatever they want, alam ko yung totoo [I know what is true]. We all know what is true,” she added.
Balag, in his counter-affidavit filed before the Department of Justice on Monday, said there was no witness that would prove the “abuse of superior strength” that resulted in the death of Castillo.
Balag also parroted the defense of co-accused, John Paul Solano, claiming that the victim died of pre-existing heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
But for Carminia, it was clear what the members of Aegis Juris fraternity did to her son during the four-hour long initiation rites.
“Yung condition ng anak ko (The condition of my son), how they did it to him, maliwanag na maliwanag na yon (it was very clear). I’m very confident that we will get justice,” she said.
Castillo, a freshman law student from the University of Santo Tomas, died on Sept. 17 during initiation rites of Aegis Juris fraternity. /je