‘Big brother’ eludes senators probing Atio’s death
Senators tried but failed to identify on Monday the so-called “big brother” of the Aegis Juris Fraternity, which is being blamed for the death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III last September 17.
At the ongoing hearing of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, Senator Grace Poe asked a frat member, lawyer Eric Fuentes, who was the “big brother” he mentioned in a chat group.
It was Fuentes, who reportedly relayed the big brother’s request for all frat members to attend the Senate probe and visit, John Paul Solano, one of the prime suspects in Atio’s death.
Poe noted that there was nothing wrong with the message but pressed Fuentes anyway to identify the big brother he was referring to.
“Madam chairman, big brother is a generic term that we give to all our GPs (Grand Prafectus) or elders, your honor,” said Fuentes during the hearing.
“Medyo klaro yung elder, or elders. Iba yung big borther sa elder so don’t tell us na pareho yun, na generic yun sa elders,” said Senator Panfilo Lacson, who was presiding the hearing as chair of the committee.
“Mawalang galang po, yun po talaga ang aming ibinibigay na term sa aming nakakatanda po,” Fuentes said.
Poe then asked Fuentes if the fraternity considers, Dean Nilo Divina a “big brother.”
“We can but we don’t call him big brother, your honor. We call him Dean Divina or Sir Divina,” Fuentes said.
But another frat member and a former fraternity official, Marc Anthony Ventura, gave a different answer when Poe asked who big brother was.
“Yung sa personal knowledge ko po, your honor, may isang tao po ata. Pero tinatawag lang po yun. Never ko pa syang na-meet at nagpakilala sa akin na sya si big brother,” Ventura said
“Pero sino yung tao na yun?” Poe asked again.
“Ang alam ko po si Atty Bernardo po e,” Ventura said.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who initiated the Senate probe, then recognized lawyer Arnel Bernardo, who was also in the hearing.
“Your honor, I’m not aware that I’m being called the big brother,” Bernardo said. /cbb
