Atio Castillo’s parents eye meeting with Duterte

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Thursday met with the family of freshman law student Horacio "Atio" Castillo III, who died from brutal hazing rites on September 17.

Present at the meeting, which took place before lunch, were Castillo's parents, Horacio II and Carminia, uncle Dr. Gerry Castillo, and sister Nicole.

Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes said the Castillos thanked Aguirre "for all the help extended" in the investigation on the hazing rites conducted by the Aegis Juris fraternity that took the 22-year-old's life.

LOOK: Atio Castillo's family met up with SOJ Aguirre. DOJ says the Castillos will have a meeting with Pres. Duterte on Oct. 4. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/PAo1XIunV4

— Virgil Lopez (@virgillopez) September 28, 2017

Balmes also said the family requested Aguirre to help arrange a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Request for audience granted through SOJ [Secretary of Justice] for Wednesday next week [October 4]," the DOJ official said.

Aguirre said the Castillos wanted to convey to the President their fears of "miscarriage of justice," knowing the family is going against a fraternity which reportedly has links to influential people.  

"Gusto lang siguro nilang humingi ng tulong sa ating Pangulo na sana'y mabigyan sila ng katarungan at hindi magkaroon ng miscarriage of justice kasi alam nila na mayayaman, maimpluwensya 'yung kanilang makakalaban," Aguirre told reporters.

Castillo was laid to rest on Wednesday, the same day the DOJ ordered the release of primary suspect John Paul Solano pending further investigation on the criminal complaint filed against him and 17 other people in connection with the hazing incident.

A three-man panel of prosecutors will handle the preliminary investigation on the complaint with hearings set for October 4and 9.  —KBK, GMA News