THE parents of University of Santo Tomas law student Horacio Castillo III, who was killed in a hazing conducted by members of Aegis Juris fraternity, say the mere expulsion of eight of the fratmen allegedly involved is not enough.
The victim’s parents, Horacio II and Carminia, said that while they welcomed the expulsion of the eight students, UST should also be taken against law dean Nilo Divina and other members of the civil law faculty implicated in their son’s death.
“They are as much involved since they knew about Atio’s death Sunday morning or noon and they did not even call the police to report or at least surrender to the police the fraternity members,” the parents said in a statement, referring to their son by his nickname.
Carminia pointed out that the fraternity’s alumni members even met in a hotel in Quezon City to cover up the hazing incident.
Castillo’s parents also lamented the delayed action by UST to expel those involved in the hazing, and their failure to name the eight students expelled.
“Given the time from September [last year] to the present, UST should have acted on this beforehand. Anyway, it’s better late than never,” Carminia said.
“They know the law, there’s already an existing Anti-Hazing Law and they have violated every section of the law, including the school. The school was not even there to oversee and Aegis Juris.”
The university’s public affairs office announced the expulsion of the eight unnamed law students on Feb. 18, a week after Castillo’s parents criticized UST’s “deafening silence” on the results of a Senate report that recommended the university take action against members of Aegis Juris, including Divina, and even called for his disbarment.
But in lieu of action, UST has done precious little since Castillo was found dead in September 2017. The expulsion of eight unnamed students five months after the fatal hazing seems to be a classic case of too little, too late. A huge poster, plastered on the university’s main building on Monday wishing Divina a happy birthday, only served to rub salt into the wound of UST’s inadequate response.
Aside from pursuing murder, hazing and obstruction of justice charges against Divina and the fraternity members, Carminia said her family would proceed with their complaint against UST before the Vatican, which has direct authority over the pontifical university. Given UST’s phlegmatic response to date, this might just be the prod it needs to finally do the right thing.