Former senator and author of the country’s anti-hazing law Jose ‘Joey’ Lina hailed the conviction of the ten accused in the hazing death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) freshman law student Horacio ‘Atio’ Castillo as a triumph of the law and our criminal justice system.

In a statement,

“I laud the court’s verdict which found 10 members of the Aegis Juris fraternity guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the hazing death of Castillo in 2017,” Lina enthused from his office at the Manila Hotel.

The Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 11 found Arvin Rivera Balag, Mhin Wei Chan, Axel Munro Hipe, Oliver John Audrey Onofre, Joshua Joriel Macabali, Ralph Trangia, John Robin Ramos, Jose Miguel Salamat, Danielle Hans Matthew Rodrigo and Marcelino Bagtang Jr. guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violation of the Anti-Hazing Law of 1995.

The 10 accused were sentenced to reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years of imprisonment. The Court also ordered them to jointly and severally pay the heirs of Castillo ₱461,800 in actual expenses, ₱75,000 as civil indemnity, ₱75,000 as moral damages, and ₱75,000 as exemplary damages.

“All the amounts shall earn interest at the rate of 6 percent per annum upon finality of the decision until fully paid,” the court likewise ordered.

Lina opined that the conviction of the fratmen should serve as a deterrent to the crime of hazing that was the focus of Republic Act (RA) 8049, the original anti-hazing law the former senator had authored in 1995, and amended by RA 11053 that imposed tougher penalties.

“I commend the investigators and prosecutors in the case for their painstaking efforts to ensure that the spirit and letter of the anti-hazing law prevailed,” he stated.

“The outcome of this case shows that success can be attained if the entire criminal justice system with its five pillars—police, prosecutors, judges, jails, and the community—works eficiently to identify, apprehend, prosecute, convict and incarcerate offenders,” he added in conclusion.