Friends relive Atio memories at wake, call for end to hazing

Hazing victim Horacio “Atio” Castillo III's  friends fondly remembered memories of him on the last night of his wake.

“Stop hazing” was one of their calls as they made their last farewell to their friend, whose remains were scheduled for interment at the Manila Memorial Park on September 27, according to an "Unang Balita" report by Mav Gonzales.

Also, the report said Atio's family,  who initially decided to ban members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity at the wake, said that frat members would be welcome should they decide to come over.

“They’re welcome to come para makonsiyensiya sila, malay mo they will be the real Good Samaritans,” Dr. Gerry Castillo, father to Atio, said.

Moreover, the report said that the Castillo family has added more lawyers to their camp.

Meanwhile, Senator Miguel Zubiri, a personal friend of the Castillo family, said he already relayed with the family information given by John Paul Solano in the Senate executive session held for the hazing case, according to the report.

At the wake, some of  Atio's friends relived their memories with him.

In his eulogy for his friend, Angelo Fernandez said, “He always, always, always made the time even if he had mountains upon mountains upon mountains of readings."

Fernandez recalled being amazed by the transformation of his friendship with Castillo, who he said used to bully him for his weight.

“I was a...fat kid who used to be bullied by Horacio but, I mean it's hard to imagine, right, but four years after that naging kaklase kami ulit sa Grade 7. It’s just amazing to see from animosity comes this amity, this friendship that I thought would...unfortunately didn’t last for as long as I thought it would,” Fernandez said.

Robin Lacson, another friend, reflected on the law student’s possitivity.

“He’d tell always me that you have to always be positive,” Lacson said in his eulogy for Castillo. “There’s too much negativity here. Right now that saying’s giving me so much power, to just power through here that...he just told us, just go beyond.”

Aside from Zubiri, Senator JV Evercito and Muntinlupa City Representative Ruffy Biazon, were also present in the last night of the wake in Makati City.

Asked for suggestions to improve the Anti-Hazing Law, Biazon said, “It’s difficult to ban fraternities outright. Siguro putting in more measures that would put responsibility on the schools.”

The Senate on Monday started hearing the case of Atio Castillo’s death, grilling principal suspect John Paul Solano for information regarding Aegis Juris members who were involved in the untimely death of the 22-year-old law student. —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/LBG, GMA News