Alleged frat rivalry lands student, lawyer in jail

Police arrested two Ateneo Law School students for allegedly beating up a fellow Atenista who belongs to a rival fraternity in Makati City late Thursday night.

Cyrus Valenzuela, 31, a lawyer working for the Optical Media Board of No. 35 South Limbaga, Quezon City, was among those nabbed. His companion, identified as Jon Anton Daryll Chua, 25, of No. 38, 9th Street, New Manila, Quezon City, was also arrested for the incident.

Both were jailed for allegedly mauling and threatening Raphael Augusto Jose, 23, of No. 3 Kalinga Street, La Vista, Katipunan, Quezon City.

Makati City Police chief, Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, said the incident happened at around 9:47 p.m. at the parking lot of Rockwell’s Powerplant Mall in Barangay Poblacion.

Based on initial investigation results, he said the victim and the suspects are members of the Aquila Legis Fraternity and the Fraternal Order of Utopia.

“These are warring fraternities inside Ateneo,” Cruz told The Star in an interview without identifying who from both camps belong to which group.

Police Officer 3 Jason David, in a report, said the victim claims to have been with his brother Frederick Jose and a friend identified as Gino Jacinto when they encountered the suspects. Jose said the duo, holding bottles of beer, allegedly approached him and his companions and confronted them for unknown reasons triggering a heated argument.

The victim said Chua struck him with a beer bottle and hit him in the face and the head before the duo mauled him until he fell.

“Hindi niyo ba alam na kaya ko kayong patayin? (Are you not aware that I can kill you?),” one of the suspects allegedly said before leaving the scene.

Jose said he asked a security guard for help but the latter failed to locate the suspects so they went in to make an incident report.

While on their way to the mall’s security office, David said the victim and his companions saw the suspects inside the Good Earth restaurant being accosted by a police officer and so approached and informed the latter of what just happened at the parking lot in order for him to effect an arrest.

Cruz said both suspects were placed behind bars and will be slapped with physical injury and grave threats charges before the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office.

The Aquila Legis Fraternity is known for the Leonardo “Lenny” Villa hazing of 1991. The 16-year old neophyte allegedly died after undergoing a bloody hazing ceremony.

Those believed to be involved in the incident were convicted of the crime but the Caloocan City court’s 1996 ruling was eventually reversed by the Court of Appeals in 2002 which gave his family no other option but to bring the case before the Supreme Court where it is now pending.

Cruz said the Fraternal Order of Utopia is also a well-known fraternity in Ateneo with very powerful and influential members.