A Manila court has convicted ten Aegis Juris fraternity members over the hazing death of University of Santo Tomas law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III in 2017.
For violating Section 4 (1) of Republic Act 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law of 1995, the fraternity members were sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay Castillo’s family P461,800 in actual damages, P75,000 in civil indemnity, P75,000 in moral damages, and P15,000 in exemplary damages.
Castillo, then 22 years old, was declared dead on arrival at the Chinese General Hospital on September 17, 2017, following initiation rites of the Aegis Juris fraternity.
Castillo’s parents, Carmina and Horacio, who attended the promulgation of the case, expressed relief over the verdict but still called out the alleged negligence of UST. Carmina criticized UST for allowing hazing rites of fraternities and called on the university to reassess its policies.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who shepherded the passage of the bill putting more teeth to the anti-hazing law, warned violators that “the law will find you, and you will pay for your crimes.”
“May this verdict against Atio’s killers serve as a stern warning against all fraternities and organizations that still refuse to end their culture of hazing,” he added.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said “the challenge now is to ensure that no more Filipinos would die of this senseless act of violence.”
“Alongside the pursuit of justice for other hazing victims, we must also ensure that our institutions, including schools and law enforcement agencies, work diligently to eliminate hazing,” he added.
Senators are eyeing to amend anew the anti-hazing law, this time imposing penalties on schools found negligent in keeping fraternities in check, as well as require fraternities to pay fines for the deaths or injuries due to their initiation rites.
It would seem like our government, along with schools, organizations, and the fraternities, still have a lot of work to do, as the deadly menace of hazing still prevails in this country. Just this week, 18-year-old Ren Joseph Bayan, reportedly died following initiation rites by the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity in Nueva Ecija, which provides proof that despite the many deaths, many of these bloodthirsty fraternities still haven’t changed at all.
If the conviction of 10 such frat men to life imprisonment cannot force their ilk to change their ways, government will have to show more teeth and determination if it is going to stop this senselessly violent tradition from being passed on to future generations of Filipinos.*
