MANILA – The Senate approved in plenary late Wednesday a resolution to release to the public the testimony given in executive session by John Paul Solano, a principal suspect in the fatal hazing of University of Sto. Tomas law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III.
Resolution 529 seeking disclosure of the Solano revelations was introduced by 23 senators: Loren Legarda, JV Ejercito, Nancy Binay, Manny Pacquiao. Antonio Trillanes IV, Kiko Pangilinan, Chiz Escudero, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Panfilo Lacson, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Grace Poe, Risa Hontiveros, Win Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar, Juan Edgardo Angara, Bam Aquino, Leila de Lim, Ralph Recto, Vicente Sotto III, Frank Drilon and Senate President Koko Pimentel.
It gives authority to the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs (Lacson) and Committee on Justice and Human Rights (Gordon), to release the contents of Solano’s executive-session testimony.
It noted that when he testified at the Senate, Solano, a medical technologist who pursued law at UST but was on leave from academics when the hazing happened, had declined to reveal vital information, invoking his “right against self-incrimination.”
Solano at the same hearing last week complained about the inquest proceedings that the Department of Justice subjected him to, and said he was ready to provide information sought from him, in a sworn statement, if he were allowed his right to a preliminary investigation. His lawyer had complained that the inquest was irregular because Solano had not been arrested but had turned himself in to Manila police.
In last week’s hearing, Solano agreed to reveal his personal knowledge of the Castillo case, but in an executive session.
The executive session was quickly convened and attended by Senators Lacson, Zubiri, Gatchalian, and Aquino as well as Solano’s lawyer Paterno Esmaquel.
In that executive session, Solano supposedly revealed vital information that could help authorities solve the case and bring to justice the guilty parties in the death of Castillo, amid apprehension that the more influential members and alumni of the Aegis Juris fraternity may be shielded from prosecution.
However, despite two preliminary investigations conducted by DOJ, Solano failed to submit any sworn statement, preventing the public from knowing what he knows about the hazing.
Under Senate rules, testimony given in an executive session may not be revealed unless authorized by the relevant committee.
The senators who decided to endorse disclosure of Solano’s executive-session testimony had considered the more compelling public interest in revealing Solano’s statements.
Twenty-one senators signed the resolution authorizing the disclosure: Legarda, Ejercito, Binay, Pacquiao, Trillanes, Pangilinan, Escudero, Zubiri, Lacson, Gordon, Honasan, Hontiveros, Gatchalian, Villlanueva, Villar, Angara, Aquino, Pimentel, Recto, Sotto and Drilon.
