Sigma Rho

The Sigma Rho Fraternity () is a College of Law-based fraternity in the University of the Philippines Diliman. Having been formally organized in 1938, it is the oldest law-based Greek-letter fraternity in Asia. However, it has also expanded its membership base to include undergraduate students, including those studying for degrees in engineering, business, and sports science. It is one of the three fraternities based in the College, the other two being Alpha Phi Beta and Scintilla Juris.

It is also part of Sigma Rho Philippines, an alliance of independent fraternities that were born of the same tradition, which has around 40,000 resident and alumni members from all over the country.

About

The two letters of the Greek alphabet are its emblems for the stature of its members as "Seekers of the Right". The Greek initials also stand for the initials of Sanchez Roman, a Spanish jurist whose scholarly commentaries on the Civil Code of Spain were authoritative references used by the students of the UP College of Law. Members of the fraternity were called "Comrades", while the fraternity’s presiding officer was called "Grand Archon", which means Chief Magistrate in ancient Greece. The treasurer was referred to as the Custodian of Funds.

Sigma Rho was founded by Charter Members Pacifico Agcaoili, Constantino Borja, Rodolpho Frayre, Joaquin Gonzales, Tiburcio V. Hilario, George V. McClure (an American Law student who was the first Grand Archon in 1939), Angel Medina, Carlos Ramos, Luciano Salazar (who later assisted Alexander SyCip in creating the law firm Sycip and Salazar), Antonio Moran Sison, Narceo Zambrano (who was the Grand Archon in 1940).

The Charter Adviser was then professor and later Court of Appeals Justice Magno Gatmaitan.

The fundamental law of the fraternity is that "The word of the Grand Archon is Law". Its hierarchy of loyalty is the following: first is God, second is country, third is family, fourth is the University of the Philippines, fifth is the University of the Philippines College of Law, and sixth is Sigma Rho. Meanwhile, its vows are sacrifice, loyalty, obedience, and service.

Incidents

From 1991 to 1994, Sigma Rho was involved in a total of 32 reported violent incidents between fraternities in the UP campus.

In 1994, Sigma Rho member and UP Law student Dennis Venturina died after seven Sigma Rho members were unexpectedly attacked inside the campus by the Scintilla Juris fraternity. While he was brought to the UP Infirmary by bystanders, he eventually died due to severe head injuries inflicted by lead pipes and baseball bats. In 2019, the five UP students convicted for the murder were released from prison.

In 1999, UP student Niño Calinao was gunned down and killed inside the campus. Investigators suspected that Calinao was caught in the violence between Sigma Rho and Scintilla Juris, being mistaken for a member of the latter fraternity. Calinao was not a member of any fraternity. The same year, several Sigma Rho members were expelled by reason of mauling members of Alpha Phi Beta.

In 2000, several Sigma Rho members killed Den Daniel Reyes, a member of the Alpha Phi Beta, in front of UP Law Center. The Sigma Rho members allegedly took turns in stabbing and hacking Reyes with long knives. In 2008, the three students accused of ganging up on Reyes pleaded not guilty to the homicide charge. The same year, a Sigma Rho member was suspended for two years for being in possession of deadly weapons in the UP College of Law.

In 2007, graduating UP student Cris Mendez allegedly died during an initiation with Sigma Rho. Former Senator Jovito Salonga has resigned as member of the fraternity because of this incident. Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile also labeled his fraternity brothers “trainor icof thugs and killers” and urged them to surrender those who are responsible for the death of Mendez. “I am calling on them to initiate the effort to ferret out the people responsible and kick them out of the fraternity and if necessary kick them out of school", Enrile added. In 2016, the Court of Appeals affirmed a decision allowing the preliminary inquiries conducted by the university prosecutor against students who were allegedly involved in the fatal hazing to proceed.

In 2016, Sigma Rho was involved in a fight with Alpha Phi Beta during the UP Law Bar Operations. The next year, the fraternity was again involved in a series of altercations with Alpha Phi Beta for which the two fraternities reportedly kept score of attacks and retaliations.

In 2019, a Sigma Rho member killed himself after an exposé on alleged conversations among Sigma Rho members, including photos of hazing rituals, hazing paraphernalia, hazing victims, and hateful content, was published online. Several organizations and public figures condemned the fraternity and demanded full accountability, including Delta Lambda Sigma – Sigma Rho's partner sorority. "Any man who attempts to degrade and bastardize our womanhood is no brother of ours,” the sorority said in a statement. Because of the incident, UP also placed members of Sigma Rho under preventive suspension pending formal charges.

Notable members

Executive and local government units

* Salvador Panelo - Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Spokesperson of President Rodrigo Duterte
* Hilario Davide III - Governor of Cebu
* Rafael M. Salas - Former Executive Secretary, Office of the President of the Philippines
* Arthur Defensor Jr. - Governor of Iloilo
* Arthur Defensor Sr. - Former Governor of Iloilo
* Luis Villafuerte - Former Governor of Camarines Sur
* Simeon Marcelo - Former Solicitor General and Ombudsman of the Philippines
* Francisco Chavez - Former Solicitor General

Judiciary

* Pedro Yap - Former Chief Justice, Supreme Court
* Antonio T. Carpio - Former Associate Justice, Supreme Court
* Serafin R. Cuevas - Former Associate Justice, Supreme Court
* Marcelo Fernan - Former Chief Justice, Supreme Court and Senate President
* Presbitero Velasco - Former Associate Justice, Supreme Court
* Jhosep Lopez - Associate Justice, Supreme Court

Senate

*Juan Ponce Enrile - Former Senate President
* Jovito R. Salonga - Former Senate President, resigned from fraternity in 2007"Ex-Senate President Salonga Resigns From Fraternity After Hazing Death"

* Edgardo J. Angara - Former Senate President
* Juan Edgardo M. Angara - Senator
* Franklin M. Drilon - Senator and former Senate President

House of Representatives

* Raul Daza - House Representative
* Oscar Gozos - Former House Representative
* Victor Sumulong - Former House Representative

Other notable members

* Joe Lipa - Former coach of the University of the Philippines Men's Basketball Team which won the 1986 UAAP Championship and the Philippines men's national basketball team
* Stevan Javellana - Novelist and author of Without Seeing the Dawn
* Rowena Guanzon - Comelec commissioner

References

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Student societies in the Philippines
University of the Philippines
Student organizations established in 1938
Legal fraternities and sororities in the Philippines
1938 establishments in the Philippines