# Aquila Legis

The Aquila Legis Fraternity (ΑLF) is a Philippine fraternity exclusively based in the Ateneo de Manila School of Law in Quezon City, Philippines. Founded by Joaquin Lorenzo E. Misa, the first bossman or "Honorable Praeses" in 1949, it is the first fraternity founded by students, and the first fraternity in the Philippines using Latin nomenclature, preceding several Philippine law-based fraternities with names derived from Latin.
Over the past six decades, the fraternity has inducted over 1,500 members, many of whom eventually rose to public prominence as cabinet secretaries, legislators, justices, ambassadors, business tycoons, and top executives in the business and financial sector.

## History

Aquila Legis Fraternity was founded as Fraternitas Aquilae Legis in 1949 by 21 second and third-year students of the Ateneo Law School. As expressed by Aquila Legis alumnus and former Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, the fraternity was created "to promote camaraderie" and to "nurture Catholic lawyers and to produce leaders in every field of human endeavor", in line with the aims of the Jesuit-run Ateneo Law School.
Among the early members were Gabriel Singson who later became the first governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or BSP, Teofisto Guingona, Jr. of the second batch in 1950 (later Vice President of the Philippines), and Raul Boncan (later a member of the BSP's Monetary Board).

## Symbols

In English, the fraternity's name, Aquila Legis, means "eagle of the law," but can also be translated as "legal eagle." The fraternity's symbol is the eagle. Its color is blue. Its motto is Fidelitas ex Lege. Its slogan is "Boss, with all due respect."

## Notable members

Over the past six decades, the fraternity has inducted over 1,500 members, many of whom eventually rose to public prominence as cabinet secretaries, legislators, justices, ambassadors, business tycoons, and top executives in the business and financial sector. A few of these notables include the following:
* Silvestre Bello III, Secretary of Labor and Employment and Solicitor General of the Philippines
* Jose Calida, Solicitor General of the Philippines
* Mariano del Castillo, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
* Victor G. Garcia III, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation
* Raul Goco, Solicitor General of the Philippines and Philippine Ambassador to Canada
* Teofisto Guingona, Jr., Vice President of the Philippines, Secretary of Justice (Philippines) and Ambassador to China
* Bienvenido Laguesma, Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment
* Ernesto Maceda, President of the Senate of the Philippines
* Prospero Nograles, former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
* Ricardo Rosario, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
* Federico B. Moreno, former Justice of the Court of Appeals of the Philippines and author of the Philippine Law Dictionary

## Member misconduct
### Hazing death

On February 8, 9, and 10, 1991, Aquila Legis senior members conducted initiation rites for neophytes interested in joining the fraternity's ranks. As a result of the traditional hazing ritual, one of the neophytes, Leonardo "Lenny" Villa, died from serious physical injuries at the Chinese General Hospital on February 10, 1991.
In the wake of Villa's death, charges were filed against 26 members of the fraternity. The Regional Trial Court of Caloocan found the defendants guilty of the crime charged. The Court of Appeals however, overturned the findings of the trial court and acquitted 19 of the 26 defendants. The conviction of two 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 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 Raul Goco and former Court of Appeals Justice Jose Sabio.
Impeachment of Renato Corona
During the impeachment of Renato Corona, 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 Mariano del Castillo who is an Aquilan himself, all to protect their fellow Aquilan.