Marc Ventura a Trojan horse? Atio hazing case witness reacts

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to look into the possibility that hazing suspect-turned-witness Marc Anthony Ventura may be a "Trojan horse" in order to muddle the probe into the death of freshman law student Horacio "Atio" Castillo III.

Lacson made the statement after he noticed inconsistencies on Ventura's claims about him being a former master initiator of the University of Santo Tomas-based Aegis Juris fraternity that conducted the initiation rites for Castillo on September 17.

"I am also thinking of, this is the malicious part of me being an investigator all my life, yung posibilidad na si Marc Ventura, pardon me, ay Trojan horse. Have you looked at it? Have you considered that? Baka planted ito hindi kaya?" Lacson told Acting Prosecutor General Jorge Catalan Jr. during the Senate probe into Castillo's death on September 17.  

"Kasi magkaiba ang kanilang testimony. Tulad nun may mga sinabi siya dito na hindi tama. Sabi niya hindi siya yung MI [master initiator] and then lumalabas kung titignan mo yung documents, of course meron siyang alibi na tumigil na siya [sa] pagiging MI. But again, 'pag tinignan natin ang articles, yung kanilang Constitution mukhang sablay din dun sa petsa na pinag-uusapan natin kanina. Anyway, it's just a thought and you should expand yung inyong kinocover na testimonies," the senator added.

Catalan replied that the National Prosecution Service and the three-man panel of prosecutors hearing the criminal complaints against over 40 people implicated in Castillo's death have yet to receive a copy of Ventura's testimony.

Ventura's affidavit became the basis for the Department of Justice to admit him to the Witness Protection Program.

"He [Ventura] was provisionally admitted on October 24, and the following day the Honorable Secretary of Justice [Vitaliano Aguirre II] left for the United States. He will be arriving tonight and possibly tomorrow we will be having a meeting with regards to this issue and possibly the panel will be given a copy of all documents pertaining to this issue," Catalan said.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri then sought for Ventura's reaction on Lacson's theory.

Saying he was an not angel nor a saint, Ventura insisted that he came forward to only tell the truth about what happened to Castillo. 

"Only few good men can tell the truth and nothing but the truth," Ventura said. — RSJ, GMA News