UST condemns death of hazing victim Castillo

The University of the Santo Tomas condemned Monday the death by hazing of freshman law student Horacio Tomas Castillo III.

In a statement, UST said it would leave no stone unturned in investigating the incident.

“We condemn in no uncertain terms hazing, in any form or manner. Violence has no place in an academic institution, particularly in the University of Santo Tomas that values and promotes charity and compassion,” UST said.

“We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the perpetrators be meted the appropriate sanctions and brought to justice,” it added.

Associate Professor Giovanna Fontanilla, director of UST Office of Public Affairs, said investigation is now ongoing “to ferret out the truth, determine liability, and institute the necessary legal actions.”

In an interview on dzBB earlier in the day, the victim's mother, Carmina, said their son informed them he was invited to join a fraternity. He told them the initiation was already over and the welcome event, an overnight drinking session, will be held on Saturday at UST.

Castillo was found at a sidewalk in Tondo on Sunday morning and brought to Chinese General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His parents found out about it around 1 a.m. Monday. 

An autopsy performed on Castillo’s body showed that died of  a massive heart attack possibly due to the injuries he suffered.

The body had hematoma on both arms but had no burn marks.

The academic institution was saddened about the incident as it expresed sympathy with and offered prayers for the family.

“No words can describe our sadness for this unfortunate incident. We express our profound sympathy and offer our prayers to his family for their pain and anguish-a pain that we share seeing that the life of our very own student, with all [his] aspirations and potentials, take away because of a senseless act,” it said. — RSJ/KVD, GMA News