Press Release
January 24, 2018

Statement of Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri on the Committee Report by the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs joint with the Committee on Justice and Human Rights and Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws on the killing of Atio Castillo

"I urge Justice Secretary Aguirre to file the charges against the perpetrators in the killing of University of Santo Tomas student Atio Castillo. He was a victim of fellow students and ex-students of UST acting together and conniving to torture him which eventually led to his gruesome death. The death blow itself being unflinchingly inflicted by the so-called head of Aegis Juris on the pulped down body of young Atio.

"During the hearing of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs joint with the Committee on Justice and Human Rights and Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws Points, I had raised several issues such as the unwanted secrecy, Atio was blindfolded in an undisclosed venue which the perpetrators were hard put to reveal in their testimony; use of relentless mental and physical torture to embarrass and injure for three days; neglect by UST authorities of duties to prevent damage and injuries on unsuspecting students especially to Aegis Juris recruits; intent to cover up their criminal acts using the media to launch their "fake news" of a Good Samaritan bringing Atio to the hospital; waylaying everyone by supressing the footprints of their Chats on social media; violating their oath as lawyers by influencing fraternity brods to suppress evidence and lie outright to the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police and the Senate.

"I am confident that the Senate recommendations and amendments to the Anti-Hazing Law will prevent senseless injuries, mental and emotional distress and deaths from hazing. The illegal acts constituting hazing are now explicitly stated without room for grey areas; unlike the old law which accepted and merely regulated fatal hazing rites. We had earlier realized that many injuries, damages and deaths from hazing had gone unpunished because the law was ambiguous and left the interpretation of what was punishable to the courts. Or, the prosecutors' or judges' caprices. There was just too much room for interpretation, or misinterpretation, that the guilty ones have successfully escaped the long arm of the law.

The Senate committees had planned to conclude the hearings faster but the shenanigans and prevarications of the perpetrators had slowed down the pace of Committee investigation. Nevertheless, the Committee Report is extensive, explicit and fair to everyone affected by the Atio killing. Our vigilance, especially of media, was not in vain. We may now hope that the Castillo family will feel that wheels of justice will move in their favour."

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