Mark Chua
Encyclopedia
Mark Welson Chua was a student of the University of Santo Tomas
whose death is widely believed to be linked to his exposé of alleged irregularities in the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Unit of the university. His death became the catalyst for the passage of Republic Act 9163 or the "National Service Training Program (NSTP)" Law, which removed completion of mandatory ROTC as a precondition for graduation for male college students.
Chua took his elementary and high school education at Saint Jude Catholic School and his collegiate education at the University of Santo Tomas
. He was a member of his ROTC Unit's intelligence monitoring team. He spilled out to UST's official publication The Varsitarian
about his first-hand knowledge of corruption in the unit. This resulted into the relief of then commandant Major Demy Tejares and his staff.
Chua received death threats after his revelations. The new ROTC commandant advised him to undergo security training at Fort Bonifacio
. On March 15, 2001, he was supposed to "meet" an agent but he was never seen alive again. Three days later, his decomposing body wrapped in a carpet floated in the dirty waters of Pasig River
, with his hands and feet tied and face wrapped in cloth and packing tape. The autopsy report showed sludge in his lungs, indicating he was alive when he was thrown into the river.
On March 31, 2004, Arnulfo Aparri, one of the four suspects in the killing of Chua, was sentenced to die by lethal injection, and was ordered to pay 50,000 Philippine peso
s to the victim's family. The whereabouts of the three other suspects (Eduardo Tabrilla, Paul Joseph Tan, and Michael Von Rainard Manangbao) remain unknown.
University of Santo Tomas
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...
whose death is widely believed to be linked to his exposé of alleged irregularities in the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Unit of the university. His death became the catalyst for the passage of Republic Act 9163 or the "National Service Training Program (NSTP)" Law, which removed completion of mandatory ROTC as a precondition for graduation for male college students.
Chua took his elementary and high school education at Saint Jude Catholic School and his collegiate education at the University of Santo Tomas
University of Santo Tomas
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...
. He was a member of his ROTC Unit's intelligence monitoring team. He spilled out to UST's official publication The Varsitarian
The Varsitarian
The Varsitarian is the official Student Publication of the University of Santo Tomas . Founded in January 1928, It is one of first student newspapers in the Philippines. It is published fortnightly. The lampoon issue is The Vuisitarian...
about his first-hand knowledge of corruption in the unit. This resulted into the relief of then commandant Major Demy Tejares and his staff.
Chua received death threats after his revelations. The new ROTC commandant advised him to undergo security training at Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio is a highly urbanized district in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The district is named after the main Philippine Army camp in Metro Manila, Fort Andres Bonifacio, which in turn was named after the famous Philippine revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio...
. On March 15, 2001, he was supposed to "meet" an agent but he was never seen alive again. Three days later, his decomposing body wrapped in a carpet floated in the dirty waters of Pasig River
Pasig River
The Pasig River is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it is lined by Metro Manila on each side...
, with his hands and feet tied and face wrapped in cloth and packing tape. The autopsy report showed sludge in his lungs, indicating he was alive when he was thrown into the river.
On March 31, 2004, Arnulfo Aparri, one of the four suspects in the killing of Chua, was sentenced to die by lethal injection, and was ordered to pay 50,000 Philippine peso
Peso
The word peso was the name of a coin that originated in Spain and became of immense importance internationally...
s to the victim's family. The whereabouts of the three other suspects (Eduardo Tabrilla, Paul Joseph Tan, and Michael Von Rainard Manangbao) remain unknown.