THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas (UST) denied on Friday that it is indifferent toward the death of the Civil law freshman and hazing victim Horacio Castillo III.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, UST stressed that “on the first day that news broke out, the University manifested its grief, offered prayers, and conveyed its profound sympathy to the family of Horacio. It condemned the senseless act of violence and declared a day of mourning.”
“At no point did the University indicate lack of interest concerning the death of Horacio,” the statement read.
Sen. Francis Escudero previously accused University officials of having no interest in helping solve the case of Castillo during a Senate press briefing held Thursday.
“Sa totoo lang nakaka-disappoint. Sila pa naman [ay] isang religious school. Sila pa dapat ‘yung nangunguna sana para magbigay ng magandang ehemplo, lalo partikular na sa pagpapaharap sa pananagutan ng sino mang liable sa krimeng ito,” Escudero said.
The University said it has created a committee that would conduct investigation on the case and has coordinated with the Manila Police District and National Bureau of Investigation, “which led to the identification of the members of the fraternity and possible perpetrators of the crime.”
“Despite the limitations under the Education Act and the Data Privacy Act, the University allowed representatives of the Legal Education Board and the Commission on Human Rights to observe the proceedings of the investigation committee,” the statement read.
On Sept. 18, UST released a statement condemning the killing of Castillo. It said it will “leave no stones unturned” and guaranteed to apply proper sanction to the perpetrators.
Members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity who are linked to the crime are facing murder, anti-hazing violation, and robbery charges. Other fraternity members who are not studying in UST are also being investigated by the police. F
