No special treatment for hazing suspect
The Manila Police District (MPD) on Saturday assured the public that another suspect in the death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law freshman Horacio Castillo III will not be accorded “special treatment.”
John Paul Solano, who was photographed alone in an MPD Homicide Section custodial facility on Saturday, surrendered to Senator Panfilo Lacson with the help of UST Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina last Friday. He was turned over to the MPD that same day.
“Makakaasa po kayo na si Mr. John Paul Solano ay dadaan sa ano mang legal na proseso na dapat nyang pagdaanan. Wala pong special treatment na ibibigay ang Manila Police District, considering that he is one of the suspects sa pagkamatay ni Mr. Horacio Castillo III,” said MPD spokesman Supt. Erwin Margarejo.
Solano had undergone booking procedures Friday night and is detained at the MPD Homicide Section custodial facility. He also signed a waiver of detention, which means that he may stay under the custody of the Homicide Section for 15 more days.
Margarejo said that even if Solano voluntarily surrendered, it is still tantamount to arrest.
“Kung arestado siya ng 5 in the afternoon (Friday), we have 36 hours to conduct the inquest proceedings,” he said. Without inquest proceedings in 36 hours, the MPD will be compelled to release him.
As of press time Saturday, the MPD has yet to file a case against Solano.
“Pwede kasing madaliin ng Homicide ‘yung pag-file ng kaso dahil tumatakbo ‘yung reglementary period na 36 hours,” Margarejo said, explaining that the MPD is given 36 hours to have Solano undergo inquest proceedings.
But Margarejo also believes that Solano’s signing a waiver of detention is part of the legal strategy of his camp so that they can have more time to review the case. MPD is still waiting for the notarized waiver.
“We have a material evidence against Solano, considering na siya ‘yung nagdala kay Castillo sa ospital,” Margarejo said.
Solano will face a case of perjury and violation of the anti-hazing law.
At the moment, Margarejo said MPD investigators will wait for what were stated in Solano's judicial affidavit, which will help shed more light on the case.
Solano had earlier claimed that he found Castillo's body, wrapped in a blanket, along a pavement at the corner of Infanta Street and Honorio Lopez Boulevard in Balut, Tondo, Manila, in the morning of Sept. 17. He then rushed the 22-year-old law freshman to the Chinese General Hospital.
“Sa ilalim ng batas, ang perjury, maximum period niyan ay six years, yung minimum period niya ay six months,” said Margarejo.
“Yung penalty sa anti-hazing law, lalo na pag namatay ang victim, the penalty is reclusion perpetua (40 years imprisonment),” he added.
Trangia not in Taiwan As this developed, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) on Saturday said that Ralph Cabales Trangia, one of the suspects in the death of Castillo is not in Taiwan.
“This is to clarify that, after checking our relevant records, Mr. Ralph Cabales Trangia, the Filipino suspect in the hazing death of the UST law student Mr. Horacio Castillo III, did not enter Taiwan,” TECO said in an official statement released to the media.
“Instead, he went to Chicago, USA via Taoyuan International Airport by BR56 on September 19, 2017,” TECO added.
“Trangia left Manila on September 19 by BR262, transited in Taoyuan Airport and connected BR56 flight for the USA on the same day,” TECO explained.
Bureau of Immigration (BI) spokesperson Ma. Antonette Mangrobang had earlier disclosed that based on the agency’s records, one Ralph Caballes Trangia left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on September 19 aboard an Eva Airways flight for Taipei.
But TECO said Trangia was just one of the millions of transit passengers who passed Taiwan's airport.
“In other words, Mr. Trangia did not enter Taiwan. He was only one of the millions of transit passengers, who had passed through Taiwan’s busy airport and departed for North America. At this point in time, TECO does not know Mr. Trangia’s current whereabouts,” TECO said.
‘Blood in your hands’
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II appealed to whoever was present during the fraternity initiation rites that led to the death of Castillo to come out, reminding them that they have blood in their hands.
“To those who know anything about what happened to Horacio Castillo III, if you were there when it happened, then you have blood in your hands,” he said in a statement issued Saturday.
It is now “time to wash it with truth and justice for Atio,” Aguirre said.
Aguirre reminded them that it will not do any good if they continue to hide and keep quiet about what had happened.
“Running from the truth is like being locked up in a jail with no bars,” Aguirre said.
“By your silence, you have already imprisoned yourself,” Aguirre stressed.
Earlier, Aguirre II offered to place witnesses under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).
“If they want to tell the truth or clear their names they can come to my office and we will place them under the WPP,” he said.
“They can trust us, they have nothing to fear from us,” he assured.
Aguirre has already created a hotline where witnesses can contact the Department of Justice (DOJ) if they intend to step forward.
Called DOJHoracio hotline, witnesses may contact mobile number 0995 442 9241. (With reports from Charina Clarisse L. Echaluce, Ariel Fernandez, and Jeffrey G. Damicog)