CCTV footage shows Atio Castillo with John Paul Solano, other Aegis Juris members

The Manila Police Department on Wednesday showed CCTV footage showing Horacio "Atio" Castillo in the company of John Paul Solano, the principal suspect in his death.

The footage shows Castillo, Solano, and other Aegis Juris members walking down Antonio-Dapitan street outside the University of Santo Tomas.

Police said the video disputes Solano's earlier claim that he did not know the victim.

"Our investigations showed that si John Paul Solano is a UST law student and a member of Aegis Juris fraternity. This is his picture provided to us wearing the fraternity t-shirt of the Aegis Juris Fraternity," MPD director Chief Superintendent Joel Coronel said at a press conference.

"As you can see, we have strong evidence that Mr. John Paul Solano deliberately, intentionally and maliciously gave false statements to the Manila Police District relative to the investigation of the Horacio Castillo killing," he added.

Some commenters on social media, however, doubted the validity of the video, saying that the persons in the video were not wearing the uniforms of Civil Law students.

Castillo, 22, did not return home after telling his parents he was attending an event held by the fraternity on Saturday night. His body was brought by Solano to Chinese General Hospital on Sunday morning.

The MPD earlier found inconsistencies between Solano's testimony and the accounts of officials of Barangay 133 in Manila, where Solano claimed he found the UST law freshman's body.

Solano, previously considered a "person of interest" in the case, is now considered a principal suspect in Castillo's death.

Earlier, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II also ordered Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel to monitor the whereabouts of 16 members of the fraternity.

Included in the immigration lookout bulletin order are Aegis Juris fraternity members Arvin Balag, Mhin Wei Chan, Marc Anthony Ventura, Axel Mundo Hipe, Oliver John Audrey Onofre, Joshua Joriel Macabali, Jason Adolfo Robiños, and Ralph Trangia.

Completing the list are Ranie Rafael Santiago, Danielle Hans Mattew Rodrigo, Carl Mattew Villanueva, Aeron Salientes, Marcelino Bagtang, Zimon Padro, Jose Miguel Salamat and John Paul Solano. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News