CHR chair says tougher investigation on Atio’s death needed
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson Jose Luis Martin Gascon called for thorough investigation on the slain UST law freshman Horacio Castillo III’s death, saying the state has the duty to support victims of hazing.
Gascon said all people involved in the killing of Castillo should be identified to help in the investigation and hasten the justice for his family.
“[S]a kaso [ni Horacio], importante na puspusang tuloy-tuloy ang pag-iimbestiga, pagtukoy ng lahat ng mga involved sa kanyang pag[ka]patay at dalhin sa hustisya,” Gascon said.
“Ang hazing ay ipinagbabawal ng batas – pinagbabawal ng saligang batas dahil violation ito ng right to life at may tungkulin ang estado na protektahan ang lahat ng mamamayan laban sa mga ganitong kaso,” he added.
Gascon said although the CHR is capable of investigating cases like that of the slain freshman, it acknowledges that there are proper state agencies that should handle the case.
“Although [the CHR has] an investigation capacity, we acknowledge the law enforcement so that our monitoring and support will help. The Commission on Human Rights is prepared to join the investigation until [it] reaches the tribunal and the people responsible,” Gascon told The Spiral Journal.
He explained the uncostly price of violence and murder in the country which he said started during the late dictator Ferdinans Marcos’s regime.
“Alam niyo 'yung pundad, yung karahasan, 'yung violence, pag-agaw ng buhay ay napakamura sa bansa natin,” Gascon said.
"Nagsimula ito nung panahon ng diktadurya na napakaraming mga [taong] napatay na hindi nabigyan ng hustisya. Nagpatuloy ito pagkatapos ng diktadurya sa loob ng [tatlumpung] taon ng iba-ibang mga gobyernong demokratiko,” he added.
Gascon urged the Thomasian community to hold a national dialogue together with the Church to prevent and put an end to the culture of violence.
“Importante [na] magkaroon tayo ng isang pambansang usap-usapan, isang national dialogue, siguro pamunuan ng UST community, kasama ng mga taong-simbahan para mapag-usapan [kung] paano ba natin pipigilan itong karahasan,” he said.
Gascon called for the government to find new ways to enforce the law and boost people’s knowledge about their own rights
“Stop the killing, start the healing. [Ito ang] kailangan nating gawin at manawagan tayo sa gobyerno na maghanap ng bagong mga kaparaanan para ipatupad ang law at order para sa isang paraang makapagbibigay dangal at pagkilala sa karapatan nila,” Gascon said.