The Aquila Legis Fraternity (LF) is a non-sanctioned Philippine

fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...

that originated in

Ateneo de Manila University School of Law Ateneo may refer to: Cultural institutions * Ateneo de la Juventud, a society of Mexican writers, philosophers and intellectuals * Ateneo de Madrid, a private cultural institution located in the capital of Spain * Ateneo de Ponce, a nonprofit, ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. As of 2024, it has inducted more than 2,000 members.

History

Aquila Legis Fraternity was founded as in 1949 by Joaquin Lorenzo E. Misa, the first bossman or ''most honorable praeses'' at the

. He was joined by 21 second and third-year students of the School of Law, who addressed their seniors in meetings stating, "Boss, with all due respect." Aquila Legis was created as a professional fraternity for Catholic law students and lawyers from the private Catholic university. As of 2024, the fraternity has inducted over 2,000 members.

Symbols

The fraternity's Latin name, Aquila Legis, translates as "eagle of the law," or "legal eagle." Its motto is '. The fraternity's symbol is the eagle. Its color is blue.

Notable members

* Jun Abaya –

House of Representatives of the Philippines The House of Representatives (; '','' thus commonly referred to as ''Kamara'') is the lower house of Congress of the Philippines, Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the Senate of the Philippines as the upper house. The ...

and

Secretary of Transportation (Philippines) The secretary of transportation (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kalihim ng Transportasyon'') is the head of the Department of Transportation (Philippines), Department of Transportation and is a member of the Cabinet of the Philippines, presiden ...

Sergio Apostol Sergio Antonio Figueroa Apostol (born January 17, 1935) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as a Philippine representative in the Leyte's 2nd district from 1992 to 2001 and again from 2010 to 2016. Biography Apostol, a Roman Catholi ...

–

* Loreto Acharon –

Silvestre Bello III Silvestre Hernando Bello III (born June 23, 1944) is a Filipino people, Filipino businessman and lawyer from Isabela (province), Isabela, who served as the Secretary of Labor and Employment (Philippines), secretary of the Philippines' Departmen ...

, Secretary of Labor and Employment and

Solicitor General of the Philippines The Office of the Solicitor General of the Philippines (), formerly known as the Bureau of Justice, is an independent and autonomous office attached to the Department of Justice. The OSG is headed by Darlene Berberabe. The Office of the Solic ...

Ignacio Bunye Ignacio Rivera Bunye (born April 19, 1945) is a Filipino public official who retired in 2014 as a Monetary Board Member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, a post he held since July 3, 2008. Prior to his appointment as a monetary board member, ...

–

and

Executive Secretary (Philippines) The Office of the Executive Secretary of the Philippines (formerly the Executive Office) is the head and highest-ranking official of the Office of the President of the Philippines and a member of the Cabinet of the Philippines. The office-holde ...

Jose Calida Jose Callangan Calida (born July 7, 1950) is a Filipino lawyer. He previously served as Undersecretary of Justice and executive director of Dangerous Drugs Board under the Arroyo administration, as Solicitor General under the Duterte adminis ...

–

Mariano del Castillo Mariano C. del Castillo (born July 29, 1949) is a former associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines The Supreme Court (; colloquially referred to as the ' (also used in formal writing), is the highest court in the Philippines ...

– Associate Justice of the

Supreme Court of the Philippines The Supreme Court (; colloquially referred to as the ' (also used in formal writing), is the highest court in the Philippines. It was established by the Taft Commission on June 11, 1901, through the enactment of Act No. 136, which abolished th ...

* Leo Medialdea – Associate Justice of the

* Antonio Cerilles – Governor of Zamboanga del Sur,

Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources The secretary of environment and natural resources (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kalihim ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman'') is the head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines. Functions The following are ...

, and

* Victor G. Garcia III –

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

to the

Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Raul Goco Raul Ilustre Goco (April 24, 1930 – August 16, 2014) was a Filipino lawyer and diplomat. He served as the Solicitor General of the Philippines from August 11, 1992 until September 22, 1996, as well as the Ambassador of the Philippines to Canad ...

–

and Philippine Ambassador to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Neptali Gonzales II Neptali "Boyet" Medina Gonzales II (born August 29, 1954) is a Filipino people, Filipino politician serving as the Representative of Mandaluyong's Legislative district of Mandaluyong, Lone District since 2019, and previously in the 10th Congre ...

–

Philippine House of Representatives The House of Representatives (; '','' thus commonly referred to as ''Kamara'') is the lower house of Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the Senate of the Philippines as the upper house. The lower house is commonly refe ...

Teofisto Guingona Jr. Teofisto "Tito" Tayko Guingona Jr. (born July 4, 1928) is a Filipino politician and diplomat who served as the 11th vice president of the Philippines from 2001 to 2004, during the first term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Born in San ...

(1950) –

Vice President of the Philippines The vice president of the Philippines (, also referred to as ) is the second-highest official in the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the first in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is directly elect ...

, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and

President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines The president pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines is the second highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines. During the absence of the president of the Senate, the Senate president '' pro tempore'' presides over the Sen ...

Rodge Gutierrez Ramon Rodrigo "Rodge" Lorejo Gutierrez (born October 6, 1993) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who has served as the representative for 1-Rider Partylist since 2022. Early life and education Gutierrez was born on October 6, 1993, in Qu ...

–

* Adam Jala –

Bienvenido Laguesma Bienvenido Estudillo Laguesma (born October 3, 1950) is a Filipino government official, lawyer, and businessman has served as the 31st secretary of labor and employment since 2022, and previously as the 25th from 1998 to 2001. Education Lag ...

– Secretary of the

Department of Labor and Employment A ministry of labour ('' UK''), or labor ('' US''), also known as a department of labour, or labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, and s ...

Ernesto Maceda Ernesto Madarang "Ernie" Maceda Sr. (March 26, 1935 – June 20, 2016) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, and columnist who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1971 to 1972 and again from 1987 to 1998. He served as Senate President fro ...

–

President of the Senate of the Philippines The president of the Senate of the Philippines ( or ), commonly referred to as the Senate president, is the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines, and third highest and most powerful official in the ...

Raul del Mar Raul Veloso del Mar (March 20, 1941 – November 16, 2020) was a Filipino politician who served as the Representative of Cebu City's 1st district three times: from 1987 to 1998, from 2001 to 2010, and from 2013 until his death in 2020. He w ...

–

* Bem Noel –

Karlo Nograles Karlo Alexei Bendigo Nograles (born September 3, 1976) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission (Philippines), Civil Service Commission from March 4, 2022 to October 7, 2024. He was previ ...

– Chairperson of the

Civil Service Commission A civil service commission (also known as a Public Service Commission) is a government agency or public body that is established by the constitution, or by the legislature, to regulate the employment and working conditions of civil servants, overse ...

and

Cabinet Secretary A cabinet secretary is usually a senior official (typically a civil servant) who provides services and advice to a cabinet of ministers as part of the Cabinet Office. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powe ...

Prospero Nograles Prospero Rafael Castillo Nograles (October 30, 1947 – May 4, 2019, ) also known as "Boy" or "Nogie", was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the speaker of the House of Representatives from 2008 to 2010. He was the first speaker fr ...

(1968) –

Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines The speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines (), more popularly known as the House speaker, is the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official of the lower house of Congress, the House of Representatives, as well as t ...

Dong Puno Ricardo Villanueva Puno Jr. (January 20, 1946 – February 15, 2022) was a Filipino television public affairs host, media executive, newspaper columnist, and lawyer. Early life and education Puno was born in Manila on January 20, 1946, a son ...

–

Press Secretary A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage. Dutie ...

and television public affairs host *

Gabriel Singson Gabriel dela Cruz Singson (18 March 1929 – 29 March 2016) was a Filipino lawyer and banker, who served as the first Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) from 1993 to 1999. He was the first Governor of the BSP after former Preside ...

– Governor of the

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (; commonly abbreviated as BSP in both Filipino and English) is the central bank of the Philippines. It was established on January 3, 1949, and then re-established on July 3, 1993 pursuant to the provision of Re ...

Ricardo Rosario Ricardo de Rivera Rosario (born October 15, 1958) is a Filipino judge who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines since 2020. He was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to replace Associate Justice Jose Reye ...

– Associate Justice of the

Dino Tanjuatco Emigdio "Dino" Palou Tanjuatco III (born January 12, 1970) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who has served as a representative for Rizal's second district since 2022 as a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition. Early life and career ...

–

Jericho Nograles Jericho Jonas "Koko" Bendigo Nograles (born April 23, 1981) is a Filipino congressman and official spokesperson for the Puwersa ng Bayang Atleta (PBA) Partylist. He is the Assistant Majority Leader of the House of Representatives of the Philipp ...

–

Francis Tolentino Francis Ng Tolentino (, born January 2, 1960) is a Filipino politician and lawyer serving as a senator since 2019. He has been the Senate Majority Leader since 2024 and was formerly the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee from 2022 t ...

(1988) –

Senate of the Philippines The Senate of the Philippines () is the upper house of Congress of the Philippines, Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House of Representatives as the lower house. The ...

* Felixberto S. Urbiztondo – Mayor of Barobo * Meynardo Sabili – Mayor of

Lipa Lipa or LIPA (Cyrillic: Липа) may refer to: Acronym *Liquid Isopropyl alcohol * League for Independent Political Action, a former American progressive political organization *Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, a performing arts school i ...

* Felipe Remollo – Mayor of

Dumaguete Dumaguete, officially the City of Dumaguete (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it h ...

Controversies

Hazing death

On February 8, 9, and 10, 1991, Aquila Legis senior members conducted

initiation rites A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...

for neophytes interested in joining the fraternity's ranks. The codename of the rites included the ''picnic'' or ''nic'', ''golf'', and other aliases to maintain secrecy; such

hazing Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...

on one of the neophytes, Leonardo "Lenny" Villa, led to his death from serious physical injuries at the

Chinese General Hospital Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC) (), also known as the Chinese General Hospital, is a district general hospital and teaching hospital in Manila, Philippines. It is one of the oldest hospitals in the Philippines, founded durin ...

on February 10, 1991. In the wake of Villa's death, charges were filed against 26 members of the fraternity. The

Regional Trial Court The regional trial courts (RTC; ) are the highest trial courts in the Philippines. In criminal matters, they have original jurisdiction. History It was formerly called as the Court of First Instance since the Spanish colonial period. It cont ...

Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines. Caloo ...

found the defendants guilty of the crime charged. The

Court of Appeals An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear a case upon appeal from a trial court or other lower tribunal. Appellat ...

however, overturned the findings of the trial court and acquitted 19 of the 26 defendants. The conviction of two lower ranked Aquila Legis fraternity members, Fidelito Dizon, and Artemio Villareal, was upheld, while the sentences for four other fraternity members were downgraded from homicide to slight physical injuries. The

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

later elevated the charges for the four to reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, downgrading Dizon's charges to the same. Villareal died in 2011 while awaiting appeal. As a result of the controversy surrounding the death of Lenny Villa, Republic Act No. 8049 (more popularly known as the "Anti-Hazing Law") was passed into law in 1995. Up to today, the Lenny Villa case is considered the first case that depicted the fraternity violence that occurs during initiation rites. The controversy in the Villa Hazing continued years after, when it was reported that the cases against those charged for Villa's death were intentionally delayed through the interference and influence of several high-ranking Aquila Legis members such as former Solicitor General

and former

Justice Jose Sabio. Impeachment of Renato Corona During the

impeachment of Renato Corona Renato Corona, the 23rd chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, was impeached on December 12, 2011. Corona was the third official, after former President Joseph Estrada in 2000 and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez in March 2011, to ...

, former Supreme Court Chief Justice, Aquila Legis members holding key positions in the House of Representatives were said to be behind the fast-tracking of the hearing of the impeachment complaint against the former Chief Justice, to shelve the impeachment complaint which was likewise concurrently pending against then Supreme Court Associate Justice

who is an Aquilan himself, all to protect their fellow Aquilan.

References

External links

*{{official website, http://www.aquilalegis.org/, Aquila Legis Fraternity Website Legal fraternities and sororities in the Philippines Student organizations established in 1949 1949 establishments in the Philippines