MANILA, Philippines — Fratman John Paul Solano, a licensed medical technologist, belives the hazing Horacio "Atio" Castillo III went through at the hands of the Aegis Juris Fraternity could not have killed him.
"That (hazing) is not enough, I think, because the kidneys did not explode," Solano said in an interview on ANC's "Headstart" on Friday morning.
Solano stood by his defense that a pre-existing heart condition killed Castillo, and not hours enduring punches and paddling by fraternity members. This, despite Aegis Juris member Mark Ventura's testimony that Solano was not at the hazing rite and was only called by the fraternity members to help revive Castillo, a freshman law student at the University of Santo Tomas.
Solano was asked during the interview to elaborate on his counter-affidavit that stressed that the medico-legal report states that Castillo has a Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a pre-existing heart disease.
"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," his counter-affidavit filed on Tuesday reads.
Despite hesitating for a few seconds, Solano stood firm: "The damages...is not that...nung time po na kasi na hindi mo rin masasabi na the damages are ganon ka-enough to kill a person. So we would base everything sa medico legal result."
(The damages...during that time, you cannot tell if the damages are enough to kill a person, so we would base everything on the medico-legal result.)
READ: Witness names 23 fratmen in Atio hazing
He added that he also cannot be held liable for the medico-legal and investigation documents used for the counter-affidavit.
"I am implying that I did not kill him, since that time they are pinning everything [on me]. That defense will be for me only," Solano added.
The same defense was also stated in the counter-affidavits of Axel Munro Hipe, who is believed to have led the rites as master initiator, and Oliver John Onofre.
It was Solano that brought Castillo to the Chinese General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, on the morning of September 17. He has always maintained that he was not part of the initiation rites, and was just called by the members of the frat to help revive Castillo.
This was also supported by the affidavit of Ventura, now a state witness in the case.
"That time kasi I am fearing for my life at ako ang makakasuhan (and I was going to be charged) that time," Solano said.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Wednesday disclosed the details of Castillo's last hours. Citing Ventura's narration, Aguirre said that the neophyte was punched by 10 men and hit with a paddle even after collapsing from the beating.