Not guilty.
This was the plea entered by all 10 members of Aegis Juris frat officials and members who were charged with violation of the Anti-Hazing Law in connection with the death of University of Santo Tomas law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III.
The plea was entered during their arraignment presided by Manila RTC Branch 20 Judge Marivic Balisi Umali, which lasted for about three hours before reaching the pre-trial proper.
In entering the plea, all 10 denied the accusations filed against them, and filed a petition for bail through their lawyers.
The accused, who were all present during the arraignment, were led by frat master Arvin Balag and members Mhin Wei Chan, Axel Munro Hipe, Oliver John Audrey Onofre, Joshua Joriel Macabali, Ralph Trangia, Robin Ramos, Jose Miguel Salamat, Danielle Hans Matthew Rodrigo and Marcelino Bagtang.
As this developed, Atio’s parents Carmina and Horacio Castillo said they were satisfied with the efforts of the prosecution.
Carmina said she does not feel for any of the accused and only wanted justice for her son, and that the Aegis Juris be abolished as a fraternity.
The RTC court later set the hearing of the petition for bail of the accused on Aug. 14, where the prosecution is expected to present its first of several witnesses.
Expected to take the witness stand as its first witness is Marc Anthony Ventura, who confessed to participating in the spatula round of the hazing.
Ventura was cleared by the Department of Justice in a bid to turn him state witness, but will still need the approval of the courts to become one.
Before the arraignment on Tuesday, the DoJ dismissed all petitions for review filed by both the fraternity members and the Castillo camp.
In their petition, the fratmen wanted to have the charges against them dropped, while the Castillos wanted to reinstate the charges against UST Law dean Nilo Divina.
The 10 Aegis Juris fratmen are currently detained at the Manila City Jail.
Meanwhile, the DoJ dropped the murder charges against the 10 fratmen because according to the DoJ, “the cumulative acts of the respondent-members were not made for the purpose of killing Atio. The intention was merely to inflict physical harm as part of the fraternity initiation rites.”
