Lawyer denies mother and son planned to escape; says they had “return ticket” to PHL
(Eagle News) — The camp of Ralph Trangia, a primary suspect in the death of hazing victim Horacio Castillo III, want the items recovered by the police from the Aegis Juris fraternity library where the rites took place excluded as evidences.
This is according to lawyer Rowell Ilagan, who was with his clients Trangia and his mother Rosemarie upon their arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from the US via Taiwan on Tuesday.
Rosemarie also faces an obstruction of charge complaint.
Ilagan refused to provide additional details about their supposed plans to seek the items’ exclusion as evidences, but the other suspects in Castillo’s death have already done the same on the grounds the items–paddles and candles, among others—were illegally obtained because of a supposedly defective search warrant.
Ilagan noted that the Trangias would just submit their counter-affidavits on Oct. 24, during the preliminary investigation slated by the DOJ.
“(The Trangias) will respect the legal process and participate in the legal proceedings,” he said.
But Lorna Kapunan, the Castillo family’s lawyer, said in a television interview that she was not worried.
“It doesn’t bother us because the only evidence that was produced by the search were a handkerchief, comb and paddles…Even if that search warrant is questioned…(it) will not affect the outcome of the investigation,” she said in a television interview.
Asked to comment on the DOJ’s offer for the younger Trangia to turn state witness, Kapunan said: “Right now he is identified through the car of his father.”
She was referring to the vehicle that was used to take Castillo to the hospital.
The vehicle was registered under Antonio Trangia.
Return ticket to PHL
According to Ilagan, his clients were also not planning on escaping authorities when they left for the US on Sept. 23.
He said that the Trangias had return tickets to the Philippines in the first place.
But Kapunan refuted this, noting that the Trangias returned to the country “probably” because they were “afraid” after Philippine authorities sought the help of the Interpol and United States authorities in locating them.
“(The younger Trangia) left (and that is) consistent with guilt,” she added.
Castillo–a University of Sto. Tomas law freshman– died of a heart attack due to massive trauma resulting from injuries sustained during hazing rites performed by the Aegis Juris fraternity.
Around 40 people have been charged, including the UST Faculty of Civil Law dean Nilo Divina and other UST officials.