(Eagle News) — The alleged leader of the Aegis Juris fraternity will remain in detention in the Senate until the resumption of work in the Upper House in November.
According to Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, this is the fate of Arvin Balag, who has been cited in contempt and ordered detained for refusing to answer questions during a Senate hearing on the death of University of Sto. Tomas law freshman student Horacio Castillo III.
“Ang mangyayari sa kanya siguro pagbalik after break, before we can discuss na Atio Castillo case again, eh mabubulok muna siya diyan sa Senado,” Zubiri said in a radio interview on Saturday.
He said this would give Balag, whom Zubiri called a “coward” for refusing to “man up” and admit that he was the fraternity’s leader, time to “contemplate” about his future.
“Tama yung sinabi ni Senator Grace (Poe) na anong klaseng leader ito…,” he said.
John Paul Solano, a primary suspect in the death of Castillo, said in his testimony during a Sept. 25 executive session made public in a Senate hearing that it was Balag who ordered him to take Castillo to the Chinese General Hospital, instead of to the UST Hospital, which was nearer.
This was after Castillo “collapsed” during hazing rites performed by the fraternity.
It was also Balag, Solano said, who ordered all members of the fraternity to deactivate their Facebook accounts following news of Castillo’s death.