Suspect in Atio Castillo fatal hazing surrenders to Lacson, MPD

The man who brought hazing victim Horacio Tomas "Atio" Castillo III to the hospital surrendered Friday afternoon days after he was considered a “principal suspect” in the freshman law student’s death.

John Paul Solano was turned over by University of Santo Tomas (UST) Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina to Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Lacson turned over Solano to Manila Police District (MPD) director Chief Superintendent Joel Coronel.

Castillo, 22, did not return home after telling his parents he was attending an event held by the Aegis Juris fraternity on Saturday night.

His body was brought by Solano to Chinese General Hospital on Sunday morning.

Solano, previously considered a "person of interest" in the case, was considered a principal suspect in Castillo's death after discovering that he gave "false statements" to the police.

Coronel said that the MPD investigation showed that Solano was a freshman law student at the University of Santo Tomas and a member of the Aegis Juris Fraternity.

He said that investigators had established that Solano even recruited Castillo to join the fraternity.

Solano admitted that he was a member of the fraternity, but said he did not participate in the initiation rites of Castillo.

“My involvement was to give medical assistance that time…Because they were in chaos at that time. I was not there. They needed medical assistance. I am a medical health provider so more or less they would call me,” Solano said, adding that he was a registered medical technologist.

He said he was a former UST Law student, and filed a leave of absence in 2016.

“I’m not a law student now. I don’t know him personally. I only met him twice. The first one he told me his name and then the second time was [when] the incident happened,” Solano said.

Solano said he found Castillo “half dead” and “unconscious” before bringing him to the hospital.

“Yes, I did [resuscitate]…More or less, he’s half dead. I cannot give a final vertic that he is dead becaues I’m not a doctor. He’s unconscious, I gave CPR and then when I cannot do anything else, I brought him to the hospital,” he narrated.

Solano’s lawyer, Paterno Esmaquel, said his client will show that “he is innocent.”

Asked why he surrendered, Solano said: “It’s getting worse. We can say it’s getting worse. I want to clear my name because I know myself, I know I’m innocent.”

Coronel meanwhile said Solano, who will be brought to the MPD headquarters, is still considered a primary suspect.

“As I explained to Paul and through his counsel, that at present, our investigation shows that he is principally involved in the death and killing of Atio,” Coronel said.

Solano, previously considered a "person of interest" in the case, was considered a principal suspect in Castillo's death after discovering that he gave "false statements" to the police.

Solano admitted giving false statements as he apologized to Castillo’s family.  —NB, GMA News