Palace condemns 'senseless' death of UST law student

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Friday decried the death of Horacio Castillo III, a freshman law student believed to have died from fraternity hazing.

“We strongly condemn the senseless killing of Horacio Castillo III. Government agencies are now conducting an investigation on the matter,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a press briefing.

The lifeless body of Castillo, a first-year law student of the UST, was initially reported to have been discovered early Sunday morning in Tondo, Manila.

Investigation into his death now suggests John Paul Solano, who earlier claimed to have found Castillo's body, brought him to a Manila hospital from the fraternity rites of the Aegis Juris Fraternity. He surrendered to authorities on Friday.

His parents claimed that Horacio asked permission to attend the welcoming ceremonies of the Aegis Juris Fraternity on Saturday morning. His body, covered in a blanket when found, sustained contusions in the upper arms and candle burn marks.

In a statement, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said that the Department of Justice is willing to admit those who "want to tell the truth or clear their names" into the government's Witness Protection Program.

He warned that those keeping them from coming forward "can be dangerous people with hidden agenda."

Passed in 1995, Republic Act 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law regulates initiation rites and prohibits physical harm and violence against applicants.

It was the death of Ateneo law student Leonardo Villa in 1991 that resulted in its passage.

While the law is still in place, many of the reported deaths due to hazing since 2000 did not lead to justice for the victim's families.