The University of San Carlos (USC) has long been a forge for the country’s finest legal minds, but every so often, a graduate emerges whose journey feels uniquely symbolic of the Carolinian spirit.
In early 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Hon. Fritz Bryn Anthony Makasiar delos Santos as the newest Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan. At an age where men are still finding their footing in the upper echelons of the law, Justice Fritz has stepped onto the bench of the nation’s anti-graft court—not by the weight of his name, but by the steady accumulation of merit.
While his middle name, Makasiar, links him to the notable former Chief Justice Felix Makasiar, and his father, Edgardo— a Carolinian— a retired member of the Supreme Court as well, Justice Fritz chose a path of deliberate independence.
Years ago, in a letter to his father, he expressed a firm desire to study at USC. His reasoning was twofold: he sought the same excellence his father found there, but he wanted to achieve it on his own terms. He didn’t want a paved road; he wanted to learn how to stand without fear, away from the immediate shadow of his family’s influence.
In the classrooms of USC, he was remembered not as a boisterous student, but as a “low-key” worker. He was the student in the front row, meticulously absorbing lectures, proving that brilliance often speaks in a whisper rather than a shout.
After earning his Juris Doctor degree from USC, Justice Delos Santos was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2012. He further sharpened his legal acumen at Cornell University, where he earned his Master of Law (Ll.M).
His career is a masterclass in judicial service, characterized by a steady climb through the ranks of the government’s legal arms.
2013 – Court Attorney IV, Supreme Court of the Philippines
2014 – Associate Solicitor, Office of the Solicitor General
2015 – Court Attorney V, Court of Appeals
2017 – Court Attorney VI, Supreme Court of the Philippines
2025 – Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan
The law is a jealous mistress, demanding total devotion, but Justice Fritz has always found his equilibrium by dividing his time in many fields of interest. As a law student in USC, he worked full time. When he became a lawyer, he continued to share his time with his music. An avid guitarist with a collection of 25 instruments, he has spent years performing with a band. For him, guitar was more than a hobby; it was a necessary sanctuary from the high-pressure environment of law school and work.
Even his name carries a sense of grounded tradition. Named “Anthony” in honor of St. Anthony de Padua—the patron saint of his father’s hometown, Palompon, Leyte—his identity remains a blend of deep-rooted faith and modern ambition.
The magnitude of this achievement was fully felt last on February 20, 2026, as the Carolinian law students, faculty, and staff gathered for a testimonial dinner at the Michael Richartz Theatre, USC Talamban Campus.
The hall was filled with law students, faculty, and staff, all united in a single purpose: to honor a man who proved that the USC College of Law continues to produce legacies of the highest order. It was a night of shared pride, where the university didn’t just celebrate a title, but the character of the men behind it.
Justice Fritz represents a new generation of the judiciary: young, academically formidable, and deeply experienced in the inner workings of the court system. As he takes his seat at the Sandiganbayan, he carries with him the pride of a community that watched him grow from a diligent student in the front row to a guardian of justice.
CONGRATULATIONS, Justice Fritz! The whole Carolinian community stands tall in your honor!