ROXAS LAW OFFICE

Julio Roxas
Attorney at Law
Lot 3-A Crispina Ave. Pamplona III
Las Pinas City

October 24, 2017

Mr. Bobby Bill Billybob

B2 L10 Aldebaran Subd.,
Zapote, Las Pinas City

RE: Opinion Letter on Fraternities in law schools.

Dear Mr. Billybob

Here is the opinion you requested. Fraternities are associations which are very
common in law schools. History tells different stories about it, some are good
and some are bad. There have been many deaths, and one very recently, because
of the hazing or initiation activities which have become a tradition of these
fraternitie for a person to become a member of the same. With that said, our
Constitution provides in Section 8 of Article III:

xxx
Section 8. The right of the people, including those employed in the public
and private sectors, to form unions, associations, or societies not contrary to law
shall not be abridged.

xxx

In my opinion, mere membership in fraternities should not and cannot be the

subject of penalty or punishment, on the other hand, involvement in the hazing
or initiation activities must be punished. We cannot tell if all fraternities engage
in such activities so it would be a violation of a person’s Constitutional right if
one is punished for his mere membership in fraternities. Hazing and other
violent initiation activities really should be condemned, it is a vile act, that
subjects persons who want to join to physical, mental, and psychological pain
and suffering. These cannot be tolerated and should be stopped. Still, however, I
stand by my opinion that mere membership should not be the subject of penalty
or punishment.