(Eagle News) — Suspect-turned-state witness Marc Ventura said ten others were present in the initiation rites that led to Horacio Castillo III’s death, a report said.
According to a report by dzbb, in his affidavit submitted to the Department of Justice on Thursday, Ventura said apart from those charged by the Manila Police District, Edric Pilapil, Zach Abulencia, Daniel Ragos, Dave Felix, Sam Cagalingan, Alex Cairo, Luis Kapulong, Kim Cyrill Roque and Ged Villanueva participated in the Sept. 17 initiation rites at the Aegis Juris fraternity library.
He said another girl brought by Alex Bose he does not know and who was not a member of the fraternity was also in the venue.
The report said that in his detailed affidavit, Ventura said prior to the rites that began around 2 a.m., the group prayed so nothing would go wrong.
The group asked Castillo to do some stretching, and was even made to do a duck walk.
He said he was also made to undergo a “test of character,” which saw members of the group spitting in a glass, which they would supposedly then make Castillo drink.
The glass, however, was replaced with another containing white egg yolk instead.
He said those who punched Castillo’s arms were Abulencia, Ragos, Cairo, Kapulong, Pilapil and Ragos.
Ventura, who admitted to hitting Castillo with a spatula supposedly to calm his muscles, said Castillo had to sing the Aegean hymn as he was being hit.
According to Ventura, the paddling began around 5 a.m., during which time Castillo appeared tired already.
He said they made a mark between Castillo’s buttocks and the back of his knees so they would know which part could be hit with the paddle.
Collapse
He said the first to hit Castillo with the instrument was Axxel Hipe, who, as the master initiator, was also in charge of passing the paddle to whoever would hit Castillo.
The second to hit was Ralph Trangia; and the third, the fraternity’s leader, Arvin Balag.
Ventura said at the third hit, Castillo fell on his knees, but he was hit again after he calmed down.
Ventura said that hit was done by another member he doesn’t know.
The next hit, the fifth one, came from Balag.
After that hit, Ventura said Castillo collapsed.
Ventura said Castillo was made to smell ammonia so he would be back on his feet.
Someone also checked his breathing and was talking to him at this time.
But after 15 to 20 minutes, members of the group panicked more because Castillo was not waking up.
Balag called the members and told them to make candle wax drip on Castillo’s foot and chest to see if he would respond, to no avail.
Around 6 a.m., someone from the group suggested that Castillo be rushed to the hospital, but Balag had second thoughts, noting that the person who would bring the UST student might be held by hospital personnel.
After a discussion that lasted minutes, Ventura said Balag finally agreed.
Balag left to get Trangia’s vehicle.
Once Castillo was loaded onto the vehicle, he was again brought back to the library, where Hipe performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mouth to mouth resuscitation on him.
Ventura said Castillo responded to light from a cellphone, and vomited.
During this time, he said Balag also ordered someone to buy medicine from a nearby pharmacy.
When John Paul Solano arrived, he performed CPR and mouth to mouth resuscitation on Castillo, Ventura said.
Borderline
Solano also asked the other members of the group to massage Castillo’s feet and hands.
At one point, Solano, however, said that Castillo was already “borderline” so he suggested that he be rushed to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center.
He said Solano took his motorcycle, Balag’s driver the red pickup where Castillo was, and Balag a black vehicle, to go to the hospital.
Ventura said after the incident, he went back to his house where Joriel Macabali later went to inform him there would be a meeting later that day in Cubao, Quezon City.
He confirmed going to the meeting aimed at determining the fraternity’s next steps after Castillo’s death.
Among those he said attended the meeting were Henry Pablo Jr., Marvi, Jem, among others.
He also confirmed it was Balag who ordered them to deactivate their Facebook accounts after Castillo died.
