Horacio Castillo’s parents slam ‘cruel and inhumane’ act that claimed his life

The grieving family of Horacio Castillo III on Tuesday decried the "senseless murder" of the 22-year-old law student, whose life was cut short after an alleged hazing incident.

In a statement, the Castillo family slammed the "cruel and inhumane" act that caused the death of Horacio, nicknamed Atio by his family.

"We, the family of Horacio Topacio Castillo III decry the senseless murder of our Atio... we grieve and despair at the life he was not able to live, and the cruel and inhumane way by which it was cut short," it read.

"While the death of Atio is still under investigation, it is clear to us that Atio was killed by criminals from the Aegis Juris fraternity in a blatant act of hazing. We are outraged that barbaric and criminal acts continue to be performed in the false name of brotherhood," it added.

The victim's mother, Carminia Castillo, earlier 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. Horacio never made it home.

His body 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 at around 1 a.m. on Monday.

The family pleaded with the administrators of UST and its faculty in Civil Law to conduct a thorough investigation on Atio's death, and called on Dean Nilo Divina to "champion the rights of Atio, his fallen student, regardless of his affiliation with this fraternity."

They asked friends, classmates, the media, and the public to direct to them any leads that may aid in the investigation.

They vowed that those complicit in the hazing will be brought to justice.

"We will not rest and will not stop, and will leave no stone unturned and resources untapped, until Atio's killers and everyone complicit in the hazing are brought to justice," they said. 

The University of the Santo Tomas on Monday condemned the death by hazing of Castillo.

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.

Divina, meanwhile, has distanced himself from UST's investigation. He said he will not participate or be involved in the process since the school has its own process of conducting an administrative investigation.

Divina, however, clarified that he no longer had  any involvement with the activities of the 38-year-old fraternity after he took a leave of absence from the brotherhood when he assumed the deanship eight years ago. —KG/KVD, GMA News