Aguirre to 'hiding' witnesses in hazing death: Blood on your hands
John Paul Solano (right), a suspect in the apparent hazing death of law student Horacio Castillo III yields to authorities through the office of Sen. Ping Lacson on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Lacson Office/Released
MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Saturday called on "hiding" witnesses in the apparent fatal hazing of UST law student Horacio Castillo III to break their silence.
“To those who know anything about what happened to Horacio Castillo III, if you were there when it happened, then you have blood on your hands, time to wash it with the truth and with justice for Atio,” Aguirre said in a statement sent to reporters.
“Hiding will not do you any good. Running from the truth is like being locked up in a jail with no bars. By your silence, you have already imprisoned yourself,” he added.
“We are waiting for your call, do no injustice, suffer no injustice.”
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.
His parents claimed that he 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.
Investigation into Castillo's 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.
For his part, Aguirre earlier 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 also 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.
READ: Anti-hazing law: 22 years, 1 conviction
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.
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