Heart disease killed Atio, not hazing, says fratman Solano

MANILA, Philippines — Horacio "Atio" Castillo III died due to his heart problem, and not hazing, suspect John Paul Solano claims.

Solano, citing his knowledge as a licensed medical technologist, pointed out that Castillo could not have died to hazing since the medico legal stated that Castillo's death was enlarged and there was no report of damage in his organs.

But Castillo's parents, in an interview with reporters after the hearing, denied vehemently that their son had a heart problem.

"He's very active. He's a goalkeeper, wala syang sakit sa puso," Carmina Castillo said, while Horacio Castillo II said that his son was very healthy.

READ: Atio's parents to fratmen: Return our son's belongings

Atio has HCM, Solano says

In his counter-affidavit filed before the state prosecutors today, Solano said: "To emphasize, what is clear from the said Medico Legal Report is that Horacio has Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy which is a pre-existing heart disease."

He stressed: "Patients with HCM have an increased risk for Cardiac Failure."

"Thus, if it is true that Horacio died of Cardiac Arrest, the death of Horacio is not due to hazing but he died of Cardiac Arrest due to his HCM," Solano said in his defense.

Solano also cited the medico legal report that stated that Atio's heart was "grossly enlarged and weighed 450 grams," while a person's normal heart only weighs 300 grams.

He added that the Manila Police District and the Castillo couple "conveniently omitted"  the medico-legal finding in their separate complaints filed.

Medico legal of MPD trying to cover up?

Solano also pointed out that the medico legal report said that "there is no finding of acute kidney injury and/or kidney failure therein."

"As a Medical Techinologist, I know from the reading of the said reading of the Medico Legal Report that the kidney of Horacio is grossly normal and without any signs of injury/hematoma," his defense further reads.

Once again citing his knowledge as a licensed medical technologist, Solano said that "there is no finding in any manner whatsoever in the said Medico Legal Report that Horacio suffered multiple organ failure which is the reported common cause of death from hazing."

"Thus, it is the most likely proximate cause of death of Horacio is cardiac arrest because of HCM, and not due to hazing," Solano added.

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He alleged that "the Medico-Legal Officer of the MPD is trying to cover up" the fact that it cannot be proven that Castillo died of cardiac arrest due to hazing and/or multiple organ failure, which is the reported common cause of death of hazing victims.

Aside from murder, Solano is also facing anti-hazing, robbery, obstruction of justice, and perjury raps.

Solano previously revealed before a Senate inquiry how he lied to hospital authorities about seeing the lifeless body of Castillo, a 22-year-old law student, sprawled at a sidewalk along Balut, Tondo on the morning of September 19.

He claimed his fellow frat members left him at the Chinese General Hospital after they brought Castillo's body there.