The Sigma Rho Fraternity is a College of Law-based fraternity of the University of the Philippines Diliman and reputed to be the pioneer in law-student fraternities in Asia. It maintains its singular existence with resident and alumni brods. The two letters of the Greek alphabet are its emblems for the stature of the brods as "Seekers of the Right".
The Sigma Rho Fraternity is a Law-based fraternity in the University of the Philippines College of Law and has been in continuous existence for more than 75 years. The Greek initials ΣP of Sigma Rho 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.
The Sigma Rho Fraternity was formally organized during the pre-war era in 1938 at the University of the Philippines College of Law through the initiative of some twelve idealistic junior law students Padre Faura St., Manila. Attracted by the Fraternity's laudable objectives especially in the field of scholarship, the cream of the UP Law studentry joined and were initiated into the Sigma Rho. Among them were law freshmen students like Jovito R. Salonga, Pedro L. Yap and Manuel Montecillo who later topped the 1944, 1946, and 1949 bar examinations, respectively.
The fraternity’s presiding officer is known as the Grand Archon, which means Chief Magistrate in ancient Greece. The first person to ever have served as the fraternity's Grand Archon was George V. McLure, an American Law student from the UP College of Law.
On December 8, 1994, Dennis Venturina, a Sigma Rhoan, was murdered by members of the Scintilla Juris Fraternity. The Philippine Supreme Court has recently upheld in 2014 the convictions of 5 Scintilla Juris members for murder (Daniel Feliciano Jr., Julius Victor Medalla, Christopher Soliva, Warren Zingapan and Robert Michael Beltran Alvir).
On February 10, 2000, Den Daniel Reyes, a member of the rival Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity, was killed in a riot with members of the Sigma Rho Fraternity. Den Daniel Reyes suffered multiple stab wounds and died not long after. Several eyewitnesses have testified that the members of the Sigma Rho Fraternity were attacked by armed and hooded men near the UP Law Center, which resulted in the tragic death of the Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity member.
Cris Mendez, a 20-year-old graduating UP student allegedly died during an initiation rite with the fraternity on August 27, 2007. Mendez was rushed to Veterans Memorial Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. Quezon City police investigators found out that Mendez was a victim of hazing due to “bruises all over his body, particularly on the back of his arms and thighs.”
Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and former Senate President Jovito Salonga has resigned as member of the Sigma Rho fraternity because of this incident. In a statement sent to the Inquirer, Salonga, one of the most prominent Sigma Rhoans, said that he was resigning “because of recent events in which Sigma Rho has been involved.”.
Pedro L. Yap ’39- 1st place, 1946
Antonio G. Ibarra ’40- 5th place, 1946
Manuel G. Montecillo ’39- 1st place, 1948
Ramon O. Reynoso ’47- 2nd place, 1950
Isidro C. Zarraga ’41- 6th place, 1951
Andres C. Regalado ’48- 6th place, 1952
Alfredo M. Marigomen ’48- 8th place, 1952
Jose E. Picazo ’52- 7th place, 1957
Jose C. Concepcion ’53- 2nd place, 1958
Manuel G. Abello ’54 GA*‘57- 1st place, 1958
Romulo M. Villa ’56- 5th place, 1959
Manuel B. Zamora, Jr. ’55- 3rd place, 1961
Hector A. Martinez ’59- 2nd place, 1963
Antonio A. Picazo ’61- 6th place, 1963
Fulgencio S. Factoran, Jr. ’63- 9th place, 1967
Franklin M. Drilon ’66- 3rd place, 1969
Victor P. Lazatin ’63- 3rd place, 1971
Presbiterio J. Velasco ‘66- 6th place, 1971
Luis A. Vera Cruz, Jr. ’70- 10th place, 1974
Antonio T. Carpio ’70 GA*’73- 6th place, 1975
Vicente Q. Roxas ’71- 10th place, 1975
Avelino J. Cruz, Jr. ’75- 7th place, 1977
Cosme D. Rosell ’75- 1st place, 1978
Simeon V. Marcelo’75- 5th place, 1979
Greg V. Cabantac ’90- 3rd place, 1994
Raj C. Palacios ’96- 5th place, 1998
Rodolfo Aquino ‘66- 10th place, 2011
Cyril G. Arnesto ’09- 10th place, 2013
Mark Leo P. Bejemino '11- 4th place, 2014
Magno Gatmaitan '38- Charter Adviser of the founding Members in 1938; former Associate Justice, Court of Appeals and UP College of Law professor
Pedro Yap,'39- former Chief Justice, Supreme Court of the Philippines
Marcelo Fernan '48- former Chief Justice and Senate President
Serafin R. Cuevas ’48- Former Associate Justice, Supreme Court, Defense lawyer of former CJ Corona in the Impeachment Proceedings
Efren Plana ’48- Former Associate Justice, Supreme Court
Presbiterio Velasco '66- Associate Justice, Supreme Court
Antonio Carpio '70’GA*’73- Supreme Court Associate Justice
J. Conrado Castro ’81 GA*’84- Former Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) Member
Hakim Abdulwahid ’66- Court of Appeals Justice
Romeo Barza ’70- Court of Appeals Justice
Jhoseph Lopez ’81-Court of Appeals Justice, Former Manila Chief Prosecutor
Cesar A. Mangrobang, Sr. ’69- Former Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 22, Cavite City
Executive and local government units
Rafael M. Salas, '48- former Executive Secretary, Office of the President of the Philippines, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, and Founder, UN Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA)
Jose Leido, Jr.,’51- former Minister of Natural Resources, Assistant Executive Secretary and Legislator
Wilfrido Villacorta- Philippine's Permanent Representative to the ASEAN, member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission
Arthur Defensor '59- Iloilo Governor and Former House Representative Majority Floor Leader
Rene C.Villa '75 - Former Secretary ,Department of Agrarian Reform.
Fulgencio Factoran ’63- Former Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources
Avelino “Nonong” Cruz ’75- Former Secretary of National Defense
Eduardo de Mesa ’80- Former Presidential Legal Counsel
Ronald O. Solis '81- Former NTC Commissioner
Jose Anselmo Cadiz ’81- Former Solicitor-General
Wenceslao Trinidad ’51 GA*’55- Former Pasay City Mayor
Hilario Davide III '85- Current Cebu Governor
Aquil Tamano '91- Current Commissioner, Games and Amusements Board
Juan Ponce Enrile '52, former Senate President, also former Secretary/Minister of National Defense as well as Congressman from Cagayan
Edgardo Angara, '52, former Senate President, Executive Secretary, Secretary of Agriculture, and President, University of the Philippines
Franklin Drilon '66, current Senate President as well as Executive Secretary, Secretary of Justice, and Secretary of Labor, all under President Corazon Aquino
Jovito Salonga, '39, former Senate President (resigned)
Sonny Angara, '96, current Senator, former Representative of the Lone District of Aurora
Simeon Datumanong '54- House Representative and Former Secretary of Justice
Luis Villafuerte '55- Former House Representative
Simeon Kintanar ’54- Former House Representative
Macabangkit Lanto ’63- Former House Representative, former DOJ Underecretary
Allen Quimpo ’63- Former House Representative
Victor Sumulong '68- Former House Representative
Oscar Gozos '70 GA*’75- Former House Representative and Lipa City Mayor
Rolex Suplico '84- Former House Representative
Ranjit Shahani '89- Former Pangasinan Vice-Governor and House Representative
Ronald Cosalan '73 GA*'82- House Representative
Jesulito "Jessie" Manalo '72- House Representative, Angkla Party-list
Raul Daza '54- House Representative
Nelson Collantes '70- House Representative
Arthur "Toto" Defensor Jr. '87- House Representative
Simeon Marcelo, '75, Ombudsman (2002-2005)
Domingo Disini ’52- Labor law expert, Professor, UP College of Law
Bartolome Carale '52- Insurance law expert, Professor, UP College of Law
Rogelio Vinluan '57- Evidence law expert, Professor, UP College of Law
Arts and literature
Stevan Javellana ’39- Author of “Without Seeing the Dawn”
Rick Rocamora '63- multi-awarded international Photojournalist
Joe Lipa ’63- Former basketball coach of the National Team and coach of the 1986 UP UAAP Championship Team
Cholo Cayanga '87 - Former player of the UP Men's Football Team, UAAP Champion 1987, Team Captain UAAP Champion 1990, Philippine National Team (14 and Under - Gothia Cup - Sweden and Helsinki Cup - Finland), Philippine National Team Co-Captain (19 and Under)
Step Permanes '08 - Former member of the UP Men's Football Champion Team Season 70 and 72, Former UP Men's Football Team Captain 2010 and UAAP Season 72 Most Valuable Player
Allen Jose Serna '08 - Former member of the UP Men's Football Champion Team Season 70,72 and 73, Former member of the Philippine National Football Team (2009-2013) and UAAP Season 70 Best Defender
Keith "Es" Mordeno '08 - Former member of the UP Men's Football Champion Team Season 70,72 and 73
Romeo Capulong '54- Prominent Human Rights Lawyer
Macapanton Abbas Jr.’63 Grand Archon* '66- Former Secretary-General, Bangsa Moro Liberation Organization, Sultan of Ranao
Firdausi Abbas '66- Sultan of Lanao
Fidel Agcaoili '62- Chairperson NDFP Monitoring Committee
Rafael Baylosis '67 - Member, Peace Negotiation Panel, NDF
Reynaldo Samaco '61 - Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa
