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Manila Bulletin devider devider Lacson: Aegis Juris frat members should be charged over covering up their 'brothers'

Lacson: Aegis Juris frat members should be charged over covering up their 'brothers'

Published Mar 9, 2018 08:20 pm

By Vanne Elaine Terrazola

Other members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity who supposedly attempted to cover up their "brothers" involved in the death of University of Sto. Tomas (UST) law freshman Horacio "Atio" Castillo III should likewise be charged, according to Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Horacio Tomas ‘Atio’ Castillo III Castillo III

Lacson, chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs which led the investigation on the alleged hazing of Castillo, seemed unsatifisfied with the Department of Justice's move against the suspects in the law student's death.

The DOJ yesterday charged 10 members and officers of the Aegis Juris Fraternity for their supposed violation of the Republic Act 8049 or Anti-Hazing Law for their initiation rites that led to Castillo's death.

"Basing it on the evidence gathered and presented during the public hearings conducted by the Senate on the Atio hazing case, the DOJ panel may have overlooked or disregarded the coverup angle committed by the other frat members not included in the indictment," Lacson said in statement today.

"The pieces of evidence like the authenticated contents of the group chat participated in by clearly identified members and officers, the video footages and other documents should have been enough for the DOJ to find probable cause to also charge them for being accessories after the fact at the very least," he added.

The Lacson committee in January urged the DOJ to look into the attempted coverup by the former and current Aegis Juris members whose chat group was revealed during the Senate hearings last year.

It also recommended the "immediate" disciplinary and disbarment proceedings against some alumni of the UST-accredited fraternity who had knowledge of the fatal hazing but failed to report to authorities.

Lacson urged the Supreme Court to prioritize the proceedings against the lawyer-members, which included UST Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina and other fraternity alumni, namely: Marvi Abo, Allan Christopher Agati, Alston Kevin Anarna, Edzel Bert Canlas, Arthur Capili, Gaile Dante Acuzar Caraan, Irvin Joseph Fabella, Cesar Dela Fuente, Eric Fuentes, Cecilio Jimeno, Cesar Ocampo Ona, Henry Pablo Jr., Ferdinand Rogelio, Edwin Uy,  Niño Kjell Servañez, Manuel Angelo Ventura III, Jet Dela Peña Villaroman, and Michael Vito.

The panel also asked the Civil Service Commission to impose administrative sanctions against government-employed Aegis Juris alumni.

During the Senate's investigation on the fatal initiation rites last year, the Manila Police District directors Chief Supt. Joel Coronel bared a social media conversation by alumni and senior members of the Aegis Juris who intended to “cover up, conceal, avoid, and evade investigation and prosecution” on Castillo’s case. The chat, police said, was created only a few hours after Castillo died September 17.

The Senate panel, meanwhile, scored Divina for his "inefficiency" in handling the case, despite repeatedly saying that he severed his ties with the fraternity.

Senators 'happy,' thankful

On the other hand, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, lauded the DOJ's filing of cases against the Aegis Juris members.

"I am happy to hear that 10 members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity have been indicted under the Anti-Hazing Law of 1995 for the brutal killing of Atio Castillo. This brings us one step closer to achieving justice for Atio," Gatchalian said in a Twitter post today.

"I hope that the courts will resolve this case with the utmost diligence, so that we can finally put Atio’s killers behind bars," he added.

Yesterday, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri also thanked the DOJ for heeding the Public Order panel's recommendation to charge the fraternity members.

"We have done our part in passing as well a stricter Anti-Hazing Law and so we thank the DOJ for acting on this matter, as we all continue to hope for justice to finally be served to the family of Atio," said Zubiri, a close friend of Castillo's family.

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