Frat elders summoned to Senate probe today

MANILA, Philippines — Senior members of the Aegis Juris fraternity believed to be involved in an attempt to cover up the hazing death of law freshman Horacio “Atio” Castillo III have been summoned to the Senate hearing today.

The fraternity members were identified in a chat group on Facebook that was created hours after Castillo was declared dead on arrival at the Chinese General Hospital in Manila on Sept. 17, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said.

Those in the chat group, which has since been deactivated, included not only the respondents, but also lawyers who supposedly coached the suspects not to cooperate with the authorities and to destroy possible evidence at the frat library where the hazing allegedly occurred.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said today’s hearing on Castillo’s hazing could be the last.

Lacson said the panel would start drafting proposed amendments to the Anti-Hazing Law.

“If the frat members will not attend the probe, that’s clear evidence they’re involved in obstruction of justice. They must attend so they can clear their names,” Gatchalian said in a radio interview.

He said the police as well as the Supreme Court should look into the involvement of the senior frat members in the cover-up.

Gatchalian lamented that the senior Aegis Juris members were teaching law students how to evade the law.

 He also wants to find out why the frat members held a meeting at the Novotel in Cubao, Quezon City to plan their next move.

Gatchalian wants to know who paid for the function room of the hotel as it was obvious that the principal suspects could not afford it.

State witness Marc Anthony Ventura, who admitted to participating in the initiation rites, is expected to attend the hearing.

Among the suspects in the hazing are fraternity leader Arvin Balag, master initiator Axel Hipe, John Paul Solano and Ralph Trangia.

They claimed that Castillo did not die from hazing injuries but from pre-existing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.