Page 3 - The PH Source Vol 4 No 2 - Aguirre
P. 3
become classmates and fraternity
brothers in Lex Talionis Fraternitas.
He graduated from law school as
valedictorian and cum laude in 1971,
and passed the bar examination the
same year.
But unlike fellow bar passers, he
opted to join young activists who fought
the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship. He
went into hiding for five years after the
Marcos dictatorship charged him for
inciting to sedition until the case against
him was dropped.
Soon enough, Aguirre met and got
married to Marissa Lim, with whom he
had three wonderful sons.
Illustrious Private
Practice
As a practicing lawyer, he earned
the distinction of mastering the fine art
of court litigation – winning one case
after another.
During his illustrious years of
law practice, Aguirre handled cases
deemed as controversial and those
involving prominent people.
• Impeachment Trial of the late
Supreme Court chief Justice Renato
Corona, as member of the private
prosecution panel
• SAF 44 Mamasapano clash in
2015, as defense counsel for then
PNP-Special Action Force chief Gen.
Getulio Napeñas
• Oakwood Mutiny, as deputy
counsel
• Vizconde Massacre as defense
counsel for the accused Hubbert
Webb
• SSS vs. Meralco case as defense
counsel now SC Associate Justice
Bienvenido Reyes
• Attempted Quiapo bombing
suspect Agfani Alonto, as defense
lawyer. Suspect also faced case of
attempted assassination on former
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
• LC Big Mak vs. McDonalds case,
as defense lawyer of the former
• Legal counsel for Senator Panfilo
Lacson and journalist Ramon Tulfo as
legal counsel
• Lawyer for then Davao City
Mayor, now President Rodrigo Duterte
His private practice caught the
attention of former President Benigno
Aquino III, who later on tapped him
as one of several private prosecutors
tasked to secure the conviction of
then SC Chief Justice Corona facing
impeachment trial at the Senate, with
the Senators, themselves as judges.
During the impeachment trial,
where he was a counsel, Aguirre was
cited for contempt following what
the latter described as a gesture that
was meant to spare him from hearing
further nasty remarks from senator-
January – March 2021 | The Philippine Source 25

