Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity
| Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity | |
|---|---|
| ΓΔΕ | |
| Founded | February 1948 University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila, Philippines |
| Type | Professional, Law-based |
| Scope | International |
| Motto | "Once a Gamman, Always a Gamman; And a Gamman Never Quits." |
| Slogan | Latin: Fiat Justitia Ruat Cælum English: Let justice be done, though the heavens fall |
| Colors | Blue and Red |
| Members | 1,000+ collegiate |
The Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity (ΓΔΕ) is based in the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law and it is the oldest existing law fraternity in the University of Santo Tomas. It was founded by Dr. Geronimo Ong Veneracion in February 1948.[1] It has produced four justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines two of which became the Chief Justice of the Philippines. The fraternity has produced lawyers, legal luminaries, academicians, Justices of Sandiganbayan, Court of Appeals and Court of Tax Appeals, Lower Court Judges and public servants throughout the decades of its existence.[2]
Its counterpart is the Astrea Law Sorority which was founded in 1936, the oldest sorority in the University of Santo Tomas. Also, the Astrea Law Sorority has produced two women as Supreme Court of the Philippines' Associate Justices namely, Former Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez and Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier.[3]
History
Geronimo O. Veneracion, one of the students of the Faculty of Civil Law founded the fraternity in 1948. The fraternity imbibes the virtue that it was not about material wealth a lawyer can have by thievery but the unfathomable brilliance of a lawyer's mind that when properly wielded can create wonders beyond one's imagination. This, to Dr. Geronimo O. Veneracion, made him conceive a vision of building a Filipino society roamed by great, dignified and excellent lawyers.
While the world was recuperating from the ravages of the Second World War, Dr. Veneracion organized a bunch of academic standouts in the Faculty of Civil Law of the University of Santo Tomas all driven to promote the noble idea of preserving justice at all cost. Thus, born the Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity in February 1948.
The fraternity has grown beyond the expectations of the founder. Half a century later, it is now considered as an institution within the university where every male law student considers membership. It has produced topnotch lawyers in every area of human endeavor, two former Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, Associate Justices, judges, and prosecutors in the province of judiciary, Deans and most sought professors in the academe, high profile lawyers in the field of labor law, criminal law, corporate practice and in the political arena.[4]
Decades after its foundation, the members of the Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity held many key positions in the government specifically in the judiciary. In 1991, Andres Narvasa was appointed by then President Corazon Aquino to be the 19th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.[5]
In 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Diosdado Peralta to be the 26th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.[6]
From 1950s to 1970s, the Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity has produced two topnotchers in the Philippine Bar Examinations. Moreover, the Faculty of Civil Law has appointed Future Chief Justice Narvasa, a member of the Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity, to become the Dean of the Civil Law from 1967 to 1973.[7]
In 1979, another Gamman, Former Associate Justice Feria was appointed to become the Dean of the Faculty of Civil Law.[8]
From 1989 to 2001, Dean Amado Dimayuga was appointed as the Dean of the Faculty of Civil Law which bolstered the name of the fraternity inside the institution.[9]
Founder & Pioneer members
- Dr. Geronimo O. Veneracion, DCL
- Former Chief Justice Andres Narvasa
- Former Fiscal Miguel Halili, Jr.
- Former Justice Onofre Villaluz
- Dr. Pablo Tangco
- Former Minister Jesus Borromeo
- Former Representative Antonio Venecia
- Former Commissioner Gregorio Bilog
- Former Commissioner Maximo Maceren
- Former Minister Jaime Claparols
- Former Justice Higino Francisco
Controversy
In 2008, the members of the Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity and Suprema Lex Fraternity of the Faculty of Civil Law had a physical fight inside the premises of the University of Santo Tomas. The UST Security Affairs meddled investigated said brawl between the two fraternities.[10]
In 2012, the members of the Gamma Delta Epsilon went to the National Bureau of Investigation to clear their names about the death of the San Beda Law freshman Marvin Reglos.[11] The fraternity brothers denied that they have participated in the initiation rites of Lambda Rho Beta Fraternity.[12]
In 2016, members of the Gamma Delta Epsilon and Aegis Juris Fraternity had a scuffle at the hotel lobby of Manila Hotel.[13] The Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina started an investigation between the two fraternities in relation to the said incident.[14]
In 2017, due to the hazing-related death of a UST Law freshman Horacio Castillo III, the University of Santo Tomas suspended the operations of all fraternities and sororities inside the university.[15]
Notable Alumni
- Andres Narvasa (19th Chief Justice of the Philippines and former Dean of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law[16])
- Diosdado Peralta (26th Chief Justice of the Philippines)[17]
- Arturo Buena (Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines)[17]
- Jose Y. Feria (Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines)[17]
- Onofre Villaluz (Former Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals)[17]
- Caesar Casanova (Former Associate Justice of the Court of Tax Appeals)[17]
- Ronald Moreno (Associate Justice of Sandiganbayan)[17]
- Oscar C. Herrera, Jr. (Associate Justice of Sandiganbayan)[17]
- Jesus Borromeo (Former Deputy Minister of Justice)[4]
- Gregorio Bilog (Former Administrator of Land Registration Authority)[4]
- Joel Sarsiban Garcia (28th Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard)[18]
- Nick Arnaiz Griño (Former Police Colonel of the Philippine National Police)[19]
- Oscar B. Pimentel (Former RTC Makati Judge)[19]
- Rodolfo Bonifacio (Former RTC Pasig Judge)[19]
- Rafael Hipolito (RTC Quezon City Judge)[18]
- Romel A. Gecoea (Mayor of Cabuyao City, Laguna)[20]
- Ferdinand B. Trinidad (Mayor of Municipality of Iguig, Cagayan)[20]
- Christian Natividad (Former Mayor of Malolos City, Bulacan and Chairman of the Optical Media Board[21])
- Isaac Tolentino (Former Mayor of Tagaytay City, Cavite)[20]
- Galeleo "Gally" Angeles (Councilor of Lipa, Batangas)[20]
- Jimmy Carbonell (Councilor of Puerto Princesa, Palawan)[22]
- Raymund Guzman (Councilor of Tuguegarao, Cagayan)[22]
- Francisco Bravo, Jr. (Councilor of Municipality of San Nicolas, Pangasinan[22]
UST Faculty of Civil Law Deans
- Andres Narvasa
- Jose Feria
- Amado Dimayuga[23]
Bar Topnotchers
- Andres Narvasa (2nd place - 1951 Bar Examinations with 91.6%)[24]
- Jose A. Currameng, Jr. (5th place - 1976 Bar Examinations with 88.25%)[25]
References
- ↑ "Dapat bang tanggalin ang fraternities at sororities sa isang unibersidad | PDF Slide". PDF Slide. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity 60th Anniversary. Manila: Gamma Delta Epsilon. 2008. p. 5. Search this book on
- ↑ "Dapat bang tanggalin ang fraternities at sororities sa isang unibersidad | PDF Slide". PDF Slide. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity 70th Years of Defining Greatness, Dignity & Excellence. Manila: Gamma Delta Epsilon. 2018. pp. 2–3. Search this book on
- ↑ "Hon. Justice Andres R. Narvasa | Senate Electoral Tribunal". Senate Electoral Tribunal.
- ↑ "President Duterte swears in Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta | Presidential Communications Operations Office". Presidential Communications Operations Office.
- ↑ UST Law Review. Manila: University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law Review. 2019. p. 22. Search this book on
- ↑ UST Law Review. Manila: University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law Review. 2019. p. 25. Search this book on
- ↑ "Dimayuga named dean emeritus | Varsitarian". The Varsitarian.
- ↑ "Dalawang frat nagsagupaan | The Varsitarian". The Varsitarian. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "UST frat claims renting resort in Reglos Hazing | ABS-CBN News". ABS-CBN News. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Hazing suspect says he belongs to a frat different from the victim | GMA News". GMA News. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "4 hurt in scuffle of 20 fratmen at hotel lobby | Inquirer News". Inquirer. 14 November 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Civil Law starts investigation on frat brawl | TomasinoWeb". TomasinoWeb. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "OSA suspension penalizes frats in good standing | The Varsitarian". The Varsitarian. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Chief Justice Narvasa | UST Law Review". UST Law Review. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity 70th Years of Defining Greatness, Dignity & Excellence. Manila: Gamma Delta Epsilon. 2018. p. 5. Search this book on
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity 70th Years of Defining Greatness, Dignity & Excellence. Manila: Gamma Delta Epsilon. 2018. p. 8. Search this book on
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity 70th Years of Defining Greatness, Dignity & Excellence. Manila: Gamma Delta Epsilon. 2018. p. 9. Search this book on
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity 70th Years of Defining Greatness, Dignity & Excellence. Manila: Gamma Delta Epsilon. 2018. p. 10. Search this book on
- ↑ "Directory of Officials - Optical Media Board | Optical Media Board". Optical Media Board.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity 70th Years of Defining Greatness, Dignity & Excellence. Manila: Gamma Delta Epsilon. 2018. p. 11. Search this book on
- ↑ Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity 70th Years of Defining Greatness, Dignity & Excellence. Manila: Gamma Delta Epsilon. 2018. p. 7. Search this book on
- ↑ "Bar Topnotchers Chan Robles Virtual Law Library | Chan Robles Virtual Law Library 1949-1952". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library.
- ↑ "Bar Topnotchers Chan Robles Virtual Law Library | Chan Robles Virtual Law Library 1973-1976". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library.
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