Facebook chats show frat coverup

MANILA, Philippines — Chilling Facebook chats among members of the Aegis Juris fraternity detailed how they plotted to cover up the hazing death of Horacio “Atio” Castillo III hours after he died at the Chinese General Hospital in Manila last Sept. 17.

At the resumption of the inquiry into Atio’s hazing death before the Senate committee on public order, Manila Police District (MPD) head Chief Supt. Joel Coronel presented to the panel slides of a series of messages by 30 fraternity members in their Facebook group chat, where they appeared to have been panicking.

Atio was rushed by at least three fraternity members, including John Paul Solano, to the Chinese General Hospital, where he was declared dead at 9:21 a.m. of that day.

Coronel said an informant, also a member of the Aegis Juris based at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Faculty of Civil Law, provided the messages even as the Philippine National Police cybercrime unit is set to mine data from certain mobile phones recovered by investigators in connection with the incident.

“Based on the exchange of communications among the fraternity members, it appeared there was a tendency to conceal, avoid (and) obstruct justice at all costs,” Coronel told the committee chaired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

The group chat was formed immediately after the incident but not all of the 30 fraternity members participated.

Hours after Atio’s death, 19 of those in the group chat met in a room on the third floor of Novotel Manila hotel at the Araneta Center in Quezon City as seen in their messages.

Coronel presented to the committee footage taken from a security camera in an elevator of the hotel showing some of the fraternity brothers on the way to the meeting.

The chats continued until the following day, when the members apparently set another meeting on Sept. 18 near the Integrated Bar of the Philippines building in Pasig City.

“For me, denial, never give any hint,” read one message from a certain “Pareng Edong” who was later identified as lawyer Edzel Bert Canlas. He was asked by one of the suspects, Jose Miguel Salamat, what he should do if interviewed by the police.

Salamat, who was recently expelled from the UST Law school, was identified by Solano as among those he saw in the fraternity library when he was called from his house in Caloocan City early Sept. 17 to try to revive Atio.

Solano said he initially did not want to go to the fraternity library as he was going to work in his father’s clinic, and the caller did not give him any details on why they needed his help. 

“Brod, flood na ng messages laman ng cellphone nung brod na yun puro mom and dad lagpas na rin sa daliri ko yung missed calls (Brother, the cellphone of that brother is flooded with messages from mom and dad. There are also many missed calls),” one chat from Salamat read, indicating that he had Atio’s mobile phone that day.

Other chats, including one from lawyer Alston Kevin Anarna, mentioned ways to get the footage of a security camera near the fraternity library.

While the messages were being flashed on the screen during the hearing, Atio’s mother Carmina broke down. She later pleaded with Salamat and other fraternity members to return her son’s mobile phone, eyeglasses, watch and other personal items. 

“You have to answer for all (of) them. Those are important things to us. Those were the last things,” Carmina said, glaring at Salamat.

UST Law dean ‘cleared’

Coronel said there was no indication that UST Faculty of Law dean Nilo Divina, among those charged before the Department of Justice, was part of the alleged cover-up.

Divina said he was aghast upon learning of the chat messages.

“Those involved in the cover-up should be meted the proper sanctions. They should be penalized accordingly. As I’ve said, we will not condone any cover-up,” Divina, a member of the fraternity, said.

During the hearing, the committee disclosed Solano’s testimony that he gave senators behind closed doors last Sept. 25 after he failed to submit to the panel a sworn statement as he promised.

Solano, identified as among those who brought Atio to the hospital, said Divina encouraged him to surrender and tell the truth.

“Hazing should not have been done in the first place,” Divina said, even as he vowed to continue cooperating with authorities and renewed his call for fraternity members to disclose whatever they know about the incident.

He stressed he had filed a leave from the fraternity since he became dean eight years ago. At the time, he has expelled several Aegis Juris members from the faculty.

DNA samples

During the hearing, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian challenged the suspects present to give their DNA samples to prove they were not in the fraternity library when Atio collapsed.

Of the 14 suspects, only Salamat, Jason Robiños, Zimon Padro and Aero Salientes agreed to have their DNA samples taken, prompting Lacson to remark that in his experience as an investigator, those who agree to such requests were not at the scene of the crime.

One after the other, when their names were mentioned in the testimony given by the principal suspect, the fraternity members implicated in Atio’s death – Oliver John Onofre, Axel Mundo Hipe, Arvin Balag, Marc Anthony Ventura, Ralph Trangia and Salamat – all invoked their right against self-incrimination. 

Even Trangia’s mother invoked her right against self-incrimination when asked why she and her son left the country after news of Atio’s death broke. 

It was Balag, the former grand praefectus or head of Aegis Juris, however, who ended up being cited in contempt by the committee and detained at the Senate premises. – With Marvin Sy