(Eagle News) — The Senate is set to investigate the death of law student Horacio Castillo III, who was believed killed in hazing rites held by the Aegis Juris fraternity based in the University of Sto. Tomas.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, head of the Senate public order committee, set the first hearing of the inquiry on Monday, September 25.
The justice committee headed by Senator Richard Gordon has been designated as secondary panel.
Earlier, it was Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV who filed Senate Resolutions 504 and 510, respectively, calling for an inquiry into Castillo’s death.
In an impassioned privilege speech, Zubiri, a classmate of Horacio Jr., Castillo’s father, slammed the practice of hazing by some school organizations, and the existing law that merely regulates it.
This was after he slammed Aegis Juris, and its prominent member, UST Civil Law dean Nilo Divina, who issued a preventive suspension against members of the fraternity, thereby barring them from entering the UST premises and from attending classes.
Zubiri echoed the police pronouncement that this only made it difficult for authorities to locate the fraternity members.
“Law on paper”
Zubiri also called on his fellow lawmakers to pass a pending bill that would repeal and replace the existing Anti-Hazing Law.
Under the proposal, Zubiri said reclusion perpetua is meted out to those who caused the death or sodomy of someone through hazing.
He said the bill also sees to it that the mere act of participation in hazing is penalized, unlike the existing law which only penalizes hazing that results in injury or death.
“I cringe at the thought the Anti-Hazing Law has become law on paper…We should pass this (bill). When will these barbaric acts of so-called brotherhood stop?” Zubiri said.
Castillo died of a heart attack as a result of massive trauma from injuries believed sustained in hazing rites.
Paul John Solano, Ralph Trangia and his father Antonio Trangia have been named “principal suspects” in Castillo’s death.
The police said Solano deliberately fed them false information to mislead investigators in an attempt to cover up the crime.
The red Strada which police said was used to take Castillo to the Chinese General Hospital was registered to Antonio Trangia, whose son Ralph was an officer of the Aegis Juris fraternity.
The police also named all officers of the fraternity enrolled in UST “suspects” based on the Anti-Hazing Law.