Hazing deaths in PHL, 1954–present

Early Sunday morning, Horacio Castillo III was supposedly found lying in the street in Tondo, his body bruised, bloated, and marked with cigarette and candle wax burns. He was rushed to the hospital, but it was too late.

His family would not learn of his death until 17 hours later, when his mother received an anonymous text message.

The 22-year-old had told his parents that he would be attending the overnight "welcoming rites" of the Aegis Juris fraternity, which he joined after his parents had been assured there would be no hazing involved.

If Castillo had indeed been subjected to hazing that led to his death, he would be the latest in a long line of young men who have died at the hands of their supposed "brods."

The first recorded fatality due to hazing in the Philippines was Gonzalo Mariano Albert, whose death in 1954 was investigated by a committee formed by President Ramon Magsaysay.

The most famous hazing victim, however, is Lenny Villa. The Ateneo student, a member of the Aquila Legis fraternity, was severely beaten until he died on February 10, 1991.

The case sparked a huge public uproar. Thirty-five Aquilans were charged in Villa's death, and 26 were initially convicted of homicide beyond reasonable doubt.

Their convictions were overturned, however, and in 2012, a full 21 years after Villa's death, five of the accused—Fidelito Dizon, Antonio Mariano Almeda, Junel Anthony Ama, Renato Bantug Jr., Vincent Tecson—were found guilty of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, a crime that carries a punishment of imprisonment ranging from four months to four years and P1 million in damages.

The Anti-Hazing Law, passed in 1995 in the wake of Villa's death, carries a sentence of life imprisonment for perpetrators of hazing if it results in death, rape, or mutilation.

Below is a list of the young people over the years who died during hazing rituals carried out by their fraternity brothers. It is by no means a complete list.

— BM, GMA News