Castillo hazing case verdict out today

The verdict in the controversial hazing death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III in 2017 — whose death prompted the passage of the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 — will be handed down by the Manila Regional Trial Court.

Scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, the promulgation comes seven years after Castillo’s death shocked the nation and led to the banning of hazing in all initiation rites for fraternities and sororities.

Castillo, a 22-year-old freshman at the university’s Faculty of Civil Law, died from “severe blunt traumatic injuries” after allegedly undergoing the initiation rites of the Aegis Juris fraternity.

Incidents like this have since exposed the dangers of hazing in the Philippines.

To recall, the Manila court in December 2019 denied the bail requests of fraternity members Arvin Balag, Mhin Wei Chan, Axel Munro Hipe, Oliver John Audrey Onofre, Joshua Joriel Macabali, Ralph Trangia, John Robin Ramos, Jose Miguel Salamat, Marcelino Bagtang Jr. and Danielle Hans Matthew.

They are detained at Manila City Jail after having been indicted under Republic Act 8049, the Anti-Hazing Law, following a Department of Justice investigation.

In February 2022, the court rejected a demurrer which sought to dismiss the charges due to lack of evidence, ruling that there was sufficient basis for the trial to proceed.

Testimonies of witnesses showed that Castillo’s initiation lasted three to four hours and included physical punishment, such as punching and paddling.

Reports indicated that Castillo had extensive bruising on his upper arms and burns from candle wax.

Widespread calls for stricter anti-hazing legislation were ignited by the death of Atio, culminating in the passage of Republic Act 11053, which prohibits all forms of hazing.

The UST then suspended the recognition of all fraternities and sororities in 2018, issuing a memorandum that prohibited student recruitment and activities related to these organizations.