MANILA — Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday described the Senate’s decision to release the testimony of Aegis Juris fraternity member John Paul Solano as a good development in the case of hazing victim Horacio Tomas “Atio” Castillo III.
“Good development. It will shed more light on what happened during the initiation rites,” Aguirre said in text message sent to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
He added that Solano’s testimony would be considered as evidence in the case being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Atio’s parents and the Manila Police District (MPD) earlier filed criminal complaints against those involved in the fatal hazing of the UST law freshman.
Senator Panfilo Lacson said the Senate would release on Wednesday the transcript of Solano’s testimony that was made during a closed-door executive session last September 25.
The Senate has already issued a resolution to release Solano’s testimony after the fratman failed to deliver his promise to issue a sworn affidavit detailing what happened to and who were present during the Aegis Juris initiation rites Castillo underwent.
Solano was given until Oct. 16 by the Senate to submit his sworn affidavit, which he failed to do.
He has denied involvement in the hazing last Sept. 16 and claimed he was only called by fraternity brothers to revive the already “half-dead” Castillo at their “fraternity library” along Laong Laan St. in Sampaloc.
Solano was the one who took Castillo to the Chinese General Hospital after the latter sustained injuries that led to his death during the initiation rites of the Aegis Juris Fraternity.
Solano, a medical technologist, earlier pretended to be a concerned citizen, who said he found Castillo slumped on a sidewalk in Tondo.
He later confessed during the hearing that Aegis Juris members ordered him to lie in his report to the police.
Solano is charged with murder, violation of Republic Act 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law, perjury, obstruction of justice, and robbery by the MPD before the DOJ.
Last Oct. 9, Atio’s parents, Horacio II and Carmina, filed supplemental complaints before the DOJ to include University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina, and members of Aegis Juris Fraternity as respondents in the case.
The DOJ investigating panel chaired by Assistant State Prosecutor Susan Villanueva gave the respondents until Oct. 24 to file their respective counter-affidavits while those named in the supplemental complaints were given until Oct. 30 to file their respective counter-affidavits.
The DOJ will resume its preliminary investigation hearing on the complaint on October 24.
Castillo died after attending the “welcoming rites” of the fraternity last September 16.
Authorities had confirmed that the cause of his death was a massive heart attack possibly due to the injuries he suffered from hazing. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
