Atio's death in fraternity hazing left family in chaos
Published Sep 18, 2019 11:01 pm
By Erma Edera
“Our life stopped.”
This is how Carmina Castillo described the current state of their family after her son, Horacio “Atio” Castillo, died in fraternity hazing rites two years ago.
Horacio “Atio” Castillo (Manila Bulletin)
Carmina recalled that when Atio was still alive, their family followed a routine.
“We are a normal family. We usually start early, to accommodate our schedules for the day. Atio usually drives himself to school; we take Nica, his sister, to school. Sometimes, Atio would pick Nica up,” Carmina said in an interview.
Carmina said that by weekend, Atio would play football because he was part of a weekend football league, Stanford United, and then on Sundays, they would usually hear mass and have lunch.
But after Atio died on that fateful September 17, 2017, chaos settled in and their routine was forgotten.
“A lot has changed. We usually spend time in Manila Memorial even if our schedules are tight,” she said.
During the second anniversary of Atio’s death last Tuesday, Carmina said the family went to Manila Memorial Park.
But unlike the first anniversary, no memorial mass was held at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) to remember Atio.
“I guess UST wants to forget him,” she said.
On Sept. 17, 2017, Atio, then a 22-year-old freshman at the Faculty of Civil Law in the University of Santo Tomas, died in hazing rites of the Aegis Juris Fraternity.
Before his death, he had been missing for a day until an anonymous person told his parents, through text messages, to go to Chinese General Hospital. His parents would later find him in a funeral parlor, bruised all over, with candle wax drippings on his skin.
‘Perfect conviction’
Meanwhile, Aegis Fraternity member John Paul Solano was found guilty of obstruction of justice but was acquitted of perjury or intentionally lying under oath last June 17. Solano was sentenced to four years in prison.
This is the first conviction in the Atio hazing case.
Solano claimed that he found Castillo’s body in a Tondo sidewalk and took it to the Chinese General Hospital. However, barangay officials disputed his claim. He later admitted lying to police for fear of his life and liberty.
“Conviction of Solano is a first step to a perfect conviction. We have appealed the perjury part,” Carmina said.
However, Carmina said she was very disappointed that Kevin Anarna, the lawyer linked to the cover-up of his son’s hazing case, won as 5th District provincial board member of Cavite in the 2019 elections.
Anarna, was tagged in the fraternity’s alleged attempt to cover up of Castillo’s death during Aegis Juris Fraternity’s initiation rites. He was identified by the police as part of the Aegis Juris alumni chatbox who allegedly planned how the fraternity could avoid charges.
In the Facebook chatbox, Anarna is believed to have allegedly told fraternity members to clean up their library where the hazing was done, allegedly saying, “Bukas makakakuha na sila search warrant sa frat lib. Sana malinis na. Matangga na ang paddle d’un (Police would be able to secure a search warrant as early as tomorrow for the fraternity library. I hope it's already cleaned and the paddle was already taken out).”
“A person willing and suggesting to clean evidence to avoid persecution is a criminal act in itself. How can you trust a person like that? A lawyer is supposed to uphold justice not obstruct it,” Carmina said.
“Remember Solano was found guilty of obstruction of justice, I think they all have the same advocacies... to obstruct,” she added.
Anarna was not included among the 10 fraternity brothers who were accused of participating in the hazing rites, but he and 18 others, including UST law dean Nilo Divina, were cited by a Senate public order committee “to have had knowledge of the death of Castillo and failed to report the same to the authorities.”
The Senate panel later recommended “immediate institution of proper disciplinary or disbarment proceedings” against him before the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the “Aegis 10” are currently detained at the Manila City Jail.
Carmina said their family will continue the quest for justice for Atio.
“Justice is when you get conviction. And leave everything to God for another kind of justice,” she said.
Horacio “Atio” Castillo (Manila Bulletin)
Carmina recalled that when Atio was still alive, their family followed a routine.
“We are a normal family. We usually start early, to accommodate our schedules for the day. Atio usually drives himself to school; we take Nica, his sister, to school. Sometimes, Atio would pick Nica up,” Carmina said in an interview.
Carmina said that by weekend, Atio would play football because he was part of a weekend football league, Stanford United, and then on Sundays, they would usually hear mass and have lunch.
But after Atio died on that fateful September 17, 2017, chaos settled in and their routine was forgotten.
“A lot has changed. We usually spend time in Manila Memorial even if our schedules are tight,” she said.
During the second anniversary of Atio’s death last Tuesday, Carmina said the family went to Manila Memorial Park.
But unlike the first anniversary, no memorial mass was held at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) to remember Atio.
“I guess UST wants to forget him,” she said.
On Sept. 17, 2017, Atio, then a 22-year-old freshman at the Faculty of Civil Law in the University of Santo Tomas, died in hazing rites of the Aegis Juris Fraternity.
Before his death, he had been missing for a day until an anonymous person told his parents, through text messages, to go to Chinese General Hospital. His parents would later find him in a funeral parlor, bruised all over, with candle wax drippings on his skin.
‘Perfect conviction’
Meanwhile, Aegis Fraternity member John Paul Solano was found guilty of obstruction of justice but was acquitted of perjury or intentionally lying under oath last June 17. Solano was sentenced to four years in prison.
This is the first conviction in the Atio hazing case.
Solano claimed that he found Castillo’s body in a Tondo sidewalk and took it to the Chinese General Hospital. However, barangay officials disputed his claim. He later admitted lying to police for fear of his life and liberty.
“Conviction of Solano is a first step to a perfect conviction. We have appealed the perjury part,” Carmina said.
However, Carmina said she was very disappointed that Kevin Anarna, the lawyer linked to the cover-up of his son’s hazing case, won as 5th District provincial board member of Cavite in the 2019 elections.
Anarna, was tagged in the fraternity’s alleged attempt to cover up of Castillo’s death during Aegis Juris Fraternity’s initiation rites. He was identified by the police as part of the Aegis Juris alumni chatbox who allegedly planned how the fraternity could avoid charges.
In the Facebook chatbox, Anarna is believed to have allegedly told fraternity members to clean up their library where the hazing was done, allegedly saying, “Bukas makakakuha na sila search warrant sa frat lib. Sana malinis na. Matangga na ang paddle d’un (Police would be able to secure a search warrant as early as tomorrow for the fraternity library. I hope it's already cleaned and the paddle was already taken out).”
“A person willing and suggesting to clean evidence to avoid persecution is a criminal act in itself. How can you trust a person like that? A lawyer is supposed to uphold justice not obstruct it,” Carmina said.
“Remember Solano was found guilty of obstruction of justice, I think they all have the same advocacies... to obstruct,” she added.
Anarna was not included among the 10 fraternity brothers who were accused of participating in the hazing rites, but he and 18 others, including UST law dean Nilo Divina, were cited by a Senate public order committee “to have had knowledge of the death of Castillo and failed to report the same to the authorities.”
The Senate panel later recommended “immediate institution of proper disciplinary or disbarment proceedings” against him before the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the “Aegis 10” are currently detained at the Manila City Jail.
Carmina said their family will continue the quest for justice for Atio.
“Justice is when you get conviction. And leave everything to God for another kind of justice,” she said.