Castillo camp open to dropping charges vs. suspect-turned-witness Marc Ventura

The parents of Horacio “Atio” Castillo III are open to the possibility of dropping the criminal charges they filed against Marc Ventura, a member of the Aegis Juris fraternity who claimed to have witnessed how the freshman law student succumbed to brutal hazing rites last month.

Lorna Kapunan, counsel for spouses Horacio II and Carminia, said Thursday “any evidence that will lead us to the truth is helpful.”

Excluding Ventura from the charges is an option but on the condition that the Aegis Juris member must disclose personalities involved in the alleged coverup of the hazing incident on September 17 that took Atio’s life, the lawyer said.

Ventura reached out to the Department of Justice on Tuesday to seek protection in exchange for information on what happened to Atio.

According to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, Ventura claimed that more than 10 fraternity members took part in the rites where Atio was hit by a paddle several times.

At one point during the initiation rites, the fraternity members allegedly tried to wake Atio from unconsciousness with candle drippings but to no avail.

Ventura, who is facing charges for murder, robbery, violation of the Anti-Hazing Law, perjury and obstruction of justice, is now under the government’s Witness Protection Program.

Aguirre said Ventura will eventually be dropped as one of the respondents in the complaints filed by the Manila Police District and the Castillo couple which are currently undergoing preliminary investigation by the three-person panel of prosecutors. — MDM, GMA News