The initiation and death
Horacio “Atio” Castillo III, a first-year law student at the University of Santo Tomas, joined the Aegis Juris fraternity in 2017. He died after initiation rites in September of that year. The death triggered a criminal investigation under Republic Act No. 8049, the Anti-Hazing Law then in force.
Investigation and prosecution
Authorities investigated fraternity members and other people connected to the initiation. Prosecutors alleged that the prohibited hazing caused Castillo's death. The case moved through years of trial in the Manila Regional Trial Court, with the prosecution required to establish each defendant's criminal liability under the law applicable in 2017.
The 2024 verdict
On October 1, 2024, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 11 convicted ten Aegis Juris members: Arvin Balag, Mhin Wei Chan, Axel Hipe, Oliver Onofre, Joshua Macabali, Ralph Trangia, John Ramos, Jose Miguel Salamat, Daniel Hans Rodrigo and Marcelino Bagtang Jr. The court sentenced them to terms reaching up to 40 years and ordered damages to Castillo's family.
Legal context
The prosecution was brought under the original 1995 Anti-Hazing Law. After Castillo's death, Philippine lawmakers strengthened the statutory framework through Republic Act No. 11053 in 2018. The later amendment did not retroactively define the 2017 conduct; the trial court applied the law in force when the offense occurred.
Why the case matters
The Castillo case renewed national scrutiny of violent initiation practices and became one of the country's most consequential modern hazing prosecutions. The 2024 convictions also demonstrated that fraternity membership itself is not the basis for criminal liability: convictions must rest on proof of prohibited conduct and participation under the applicable statute.
Sources
Philippine News Agency — Manila court convicts 10 fraternity members, October 1, 2024
Philippine News Agency — Justice Department reaction, October 2, 2024