Mark Chua

Mark Welson Chua (died sometime between March 15–18, 2001) 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 pesos to
the victim's family. The whereabouts of the three other suspects (Eduardo Tabrilla, Paul
Joseph Tan, and Michael Von Rainard Manangbao) remain unknown.