Volume XC, No. 7 • February 28, 2018 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF SANTO TOMAS Manila, Philippines
LENTEN SEASON. UST Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. leads the celebration of the Ash Wednesday Mass on Feb. 14 at the Plaza Mayor.
8 law students expelled over Castillo hazing
THE MOTHER of slain UST law freshman Horacio “Atio” Castillo III is urging the University to release the names of the eight Civil Law students expelled for their involvement in the hazing death. In a text message to the Varsitarian, Carmina Castillo said the UST administration should release the report of the investigating committee formed by University Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. “We would like their investigative panel to release publicly the committee report and the list containing the students involved in the hazing of our son Atio,” she said. “We have the right to know and this is important to me as the mother.” Carmina said it was unreasonable for the University to announce the expulsion of the law students without naming them. “We want to see their full investigation and report to remove all doubts or biases. We don’t know the reason for publicly announcing
that they expelled eight students but [without] reveal their names. Why announce in the first place when obviously the public would ask for the names?” she said. Carmina lauded UST’s decision to expel eight law students involved in her son’s death but said Civil Law faculty members linked to Aegis Juris, the law fraternity implicated in Atio’s death, should also be held accountable. “We thank UST for their actions but they still need to answer a lot of questions, like how about the faculty members? [T]hey are as much involved since they knew about Atio’s death Sunday morning or noon and they did not even call the police to report or at least surrender to the police the fraternity members,” Carmina said. “UST should investigate further that Aegis Juris practices hazing…UST should have acted on this beforehand. Well, better late than never,” she added. Carmina said the family would push
M.A. M. REYES
Divina on disbarment call: ‘I was not part of any cover-up’
through with the complaint against UST before the Vatican. University officials said releasing the names of the expelled students would violate the Data Privacy Act. In a statement last Feb. 18, UST said it kicked out the eight law students after the committee found them guilty of violating the University’s Code of Conduct and Discipline, meriting the “supreme penalty of expulsion.” The panel, composed of six UST administrators and a representative from the Central Student Council, said it would continue its probe “to “ferret out the truth, determine liability, and impose the appropriate sanctions.” “The University reiterates its commitment to ferret out the truth, determine liability, and impose the appropriate sanctions. In the Eucharistic celebrations held at the UST Faculty of Civil Law, at the Santuario de San Antonio during the
CIVIL Law Dean Nilo Divina has denied allegations that he was negligent or part of a cover-up in the fraternity hazing death of law freshman Horacio “Atio” Castillo III, citing his efforts to help in the criminal investigation. “I was not part of any cover up. I was not even mentioned in the group chat. I even assisted in the surrender of [John Paul] Solano which made the investigation move forward because without Solano, they could not have moved forward,” Divina told the Varsitarian in an interview. A Senate committee report released on Jan. 25 found that Aegis Juris Fraternity alumni attempted to cover up Castillo’s death and even coordinated through an online messaging application. Divina said it was “unfair” for him to be included in disbarment proceedings together with 20 other lawyers as recommended by the Senate committee, given his efforts to assist in the probe. Main suspect Solano, a medical technology alumnus, tagged six other Aegis Juris members involved in Atio’s death. But
Expelled PAGE 5
Divina PAGE 3
Jollibee founder feted with honorary doctorate Fr. Ojoy to ‘V’: ‘Uphold hope, justice THE UNIVERSITY conferred on Feb. 15 an honorary doctorate in business administration, honoris causa, on Jollibee Foods Corp. founder Tony Tan Caktiong for his outstanding contribution to the economy and business. Tan Caktiong, 65, graduated from the University in 1975 with a degree in chemical engineering. In an interview with the Varsitarian, Tan Caktiong credited his Thomasian education for his success in the food industry. “I took up engineering [in UST], so there was a lot of analytical activities — how to analyze a problem, a program, Tony Tan Caktiong, founder of Jollibee Foods so I think it helped in terms of Corp. Photo by NONA MARYSE L. TADEO
the business,” he said. UST Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. said Tan Caktiong made a mark through his leadership and social responsibility. “[W]e are conferring the honorary degree on Mr. Tony Tan Caktiong not just because of his achievements with the Jollibee corporation but also for keeping a premium on education and for his invaluable contribution to nationbuilding,” Dagohoy said in his introductory speech. In 1978, Tan Caktiong established an ice cream parlor that became Jollibee, Founder PAGE 14
amid threats to seal our lips’ FORMER UST vice rector Fr. Virgilio Ojoy, O.P. called on Varsitarian staffers past and present to regain child-like innocence to fight society’s ills and government attacks on the press, in his homily during the Mass for the University paper’s 90th anniversary. Leading the Mass for the Feast of the Santo Niño, Ojoy said the innocence and curiosity of a child were qualities that journalists need in the process of
truth-telling. “A child asks many questions. This is an indication of a child’s innocence that longs to be nourished with truth and goodness. Unfortunately, we fill them sometimes with malice and Ojoy PAGE 10 Fr. Virgilio Ojoy, O.P.