(Eagle News) — Parents of the 10 Aegis Juris fraternity members who were charged over the death of Horacio Castillo III have asked the National Bureau of Investigation to keep custody of their children.
The parents said in a letter addressed to NBI director Dante Gierran that their children would not be safe after all if they were transferred to the Manila Police District.
“The MPD is one of the complainants in the above-entitled case and thus, the MPD is not and can not be an objective and independent custodian of our children, thereby posing imminent danger to the lives of our children,” the parents said.
They added that the police and high-ranking officials were “obviously criminally and administratively liable” when they “forcibly entered” the house of accused Ralph Trangia in Bulacan on Thursday night to arrest him.
According to the parents, the police did not present any arrest warrant nor search warrant.
“We wish that you will not place the safety and lives of our children under imminent danger by allowing the transfer of their custody to MPD,” they said.
John Robin Ramos, Juan Miguel Salamat, Mhin Wei Chan, Jose Miguel Salamat, John Robin G. Ramos, Marcelino Bagtang Jr., Arvin A. Balag, Ralph Trangia, Axel Munro Hipe, Oliver Onofre, Joshua Joriel Macabali, and Hans Matthew Rodrigo stand accused in connection with the death of Castillo, then a University of Sto. Tomas law freshman student.
They surrendered to authorities on Friday, a day after Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 40 Judge Alfredo Ampuan Jr. issued a warrant of arrest against them.
Castillo died from injuries sustained in hazing rites allegedly conducted by the Aegis Juris fraternity in September last year.