Aegis Juris not a recognized organization this academic year — Divina
by Carisse Dumaua
Aegis Juris, the fraternity linked in the killing of law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III, is not recognized by the University this school year, Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina admitted on Monday, Sept.25.
Divina made the remark as the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs started the investigation on the alleged fatal hazing case of Castillo.
“For this year, Aegis Juris is not recognized,” he said when Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian questioned the accreditation of the fraternity.
The status of the organization was later confirmed by Office for Student Affairs (OSA) Director Socorro Guan Hing.
Guan Hing added that OSA did not received any letter from the fraternity regarding the “welcoming” rites.
Divina also said that for a fraternity to be accredited, “it must be a legitimate organization, composed of bona fide students and they should not engage in hazing in any manner or form.”
However, Sen. Joel Villanueva, pointed out that Aegis Juris was among the listed non-academic organizations according to the website of the faculty.
The senator added that the inclusion of the fraternity in the UST website served as an “endorsement” of the organization.
Divina is a member of the Aegis Juris fraternity, but claimed to have taken a “leave of absence” before assuming the deanship eight years ago. He also said that he has no longer participated in any activities of the fraternity.
With the issues surrounding the fraternity, the dean defended that there is nothing wrong in joining such organizations.
“Hazing is wrong in all accounts. But hazing is not synonymous to joining fraternities,” Divina said. “There’s nothing wrong with joining fraternities. It exists for noble camaraderie, to give support to one another.”
However, he condemned the violations in initiation rites by fraternities, suggesting that such acts should be completely banned.
“It be banned completely and totally prohibited. But initiations that do not cause psychological harm, physical injury should be allowed. There are many ways of determining neophytes’ resolve to join the fraternity,” Divina said.
Divina was the one who turned over principal suspect John Paul Solano to Sen. Panfilo Lacson last Friday. Solano is now facing criminal charges filed by the police before the Department of Justice.
