Police name 3 suspects in Castillo killing

Police on Wednesday identified three suspects in the death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law student Horacio Castillo III, believed to be a victim of fraternity hazing.

Manila police chief Joel Coronel named the suspects as John Paul Solano, Antonio Trangia, and his son, Ralph.

At the same time, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said 16

members of the Aegis Juris fraternity are now considered persons of interest in the case and ordered their names placed in the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order to prevent them from leaving the country.

Castillo had applied for membership to Aegis Juris and was supposed to attend its welcoming rites hours before his body was found Sunday morning.

Solano was initially considered a witness after he said he found Castillo’s body wrapped in a blanket on a roadside in Balut, Tondo, in Manila. Barangay officials disputed his claim.

“It was found out that Solano deliberately and intentionally gave false statements to the MPD (Manila Police District) in the course of this investigation,” Coronel said. “He claimed he only found the body of the victim on the early hours of Sept. 17 and brought him to the hospital when in fact, Solano knew the victim even before the death of Castillo.”

Coronel said Solano has been confirmed to be a law student at UST and a member of Aegis Juris.

Coronel presented to media footage from a closed circuit television (CCTV) showing Solano with Castillo and other alleged fraternity brothers walking on Dapitan Street near the UST campus around 11:45 a.m. Saturday, a day before the 22-year-old was declared dead at the Chinese General Hospital.

Castillo had told his parents he was attending the frat’s overnight welcome party and will be home by Sunday morning.

He never came home. Instead, his family identified his badly beaten body at a funeral home before dawn Monday.

Police also showed the photo of Solano when he gave his initial testimony and another photo of him wearing an Aegis Juris shirt.

The red Mitsubishi Strada with license plate ZTV 539 which according to initial reports brought Castillo to the hospital has been found to be registered under the name of Antonio Trangia, an Aegis Juris official.

Coronel said it still was not clear who was driving the car at the time of the incident.

“Solano, with the assistance and cooperation of the Trangias deliberately misled our investigation by providing us false and fraudulent statements, which we feel was a cover up for the actual killing and murder of Castillo, which is why they are now considered suspects,” he said.

Solano and Ralph Trianga are also among the persons of interest named by Aguirre. The others are Arvin Balag, Mhin Wei Chan, Marc Anthony Ventura, Axel Munro Hipe, Oliver John Audrey Onofre, Joshuo Joriel Macabali, Jason Adolfo Robinos, Ranie Rafael Santiago, Danielle Hans Matthew Rodrigo, Carl Matthew Villanueva, Aeron Salientes, Marcelino Bactang, Zimon Padro and Jose Miguel Salamat.

Aguirre directed “all immigration officers to be on the lookout/alert for the above named individual should he pass through the immigration counters in any of our international ports and/or seaports.”

The DOJ chief has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to get on the case of Horacio.

UST Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina has suspended officers and members of the Aegis Juris and banned them from entering the campus and attending classes.

Coronel said there are strong and solid leads implicating other suspects, but refused to release their names for now.

Coronel said investigators were finding it difficult gathering information on the case because of Divina’s directive.

“We requested the UST admin to allow the students to present themselves to us,” Coronel said.

In a related development, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said he will reveal the identities of those involved in the killing of Castillo during a Senate inquiry.

Zubiri said he already has the names of five Aegis Juris officers who supposedly facilitated the hazing of Castillo.

“Some names will be revealed. The officers, we are going to put the officers to task,” he said.

The senator on Tuesday filed a resolution urging his colleagues to condemn Castillo’s death and conduct an investigation in aid of legislation.

The inquiry will be conducted by the Senate committee on public order chaired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Zubiri said Castillo’s sister Nicole visited his office Wednesday and was to listen to his privilege speech about the incident in the afternoon. Nicole was his former staff, he said.

“Ang balita sa amin nga ay si Acho Castillo was the only one that was being hazed at that time. Wala na siguro silang ibang pinagtripan kung di siya lang,” he said. “Acho” was Castillo’s nickname at home.

In the House of Representatives, Quezon City congressman Winston Castelo sought a similar investigation.

Castelo, chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, said he expects the probe to help lawmakers determine flaws in the AntiHazing Law, passed in 1995.

The law merely regulated initiation rites and prohibits physical harm and violence against those being initiated into a fraternity.

Information that could be vital to the case was provided by the Uber driver who was last booked by Castillo.

The driver, who spoke on condition that he remains anonymous, went to the Manila Police headquarters to give his sworn statement Tuesday night.

The driver said the student looked troubled when they met on Saturday afternoon.

“Siguro kaya ganun reaksyon ng mukha nya—pawisan, balisa, may iniisip na malalim—kasi may pupuntahan siyang hindi maganda,” he said.

He said he was sure that it was Castillo who booked him on the afternoon of September 16 because it was the first time that a passenger requested him to send home only his belongings.

He said he picked up Castillo near the Dapitan gate of UST about 1:40 p.m.

“Tinanong niya ko kung pwedeng bag lang nya ihatid. Sabi ko sa kanya basta titignan ko yung laman nung bag. Nung nacheck ko ‘yung bag na ang laman notebook, yellow pad — gamit sa school, pumayag na ko,” the driver said.

From UST, the driver travelled to Castillo’s home in Makati and called him up until he finally answered the fourth call.

“Sabi nya magdoorbell ako, alam na raw ng katulong. Eh di nag doorbell ako, inabot ko ‘yung bag,” he said.

He again called up Castillo to say that he had sent home the bag and Castillo thanked him.

Vice President Ma. Leonor Robredo expressed grief on Wednesday over the death of Castillo.

Robredo sympathized with Castillo’s parents and family when she spoke at the 84th founding anniversary of the UST College of Commerce and Business Administration.

“As parent I know how painful this must be,” Robredo, a mother of three, said. (With reports from Raymund F. Antonio and Ben R. Rosario)