lagting

Lagting refers to a council of elders or nobles that functioned as a legislative and judicial body in some precolonial Philippine polities, most notably among Tagalog communities around Manila (such as Maynila and Tondo). The term denotes an assembly in which leading families and respected elders deliberated on matters of governance, interpreted customary law, and settled disputes.

Functions and authority varied by polity, but in many contexts the Lagting advised the ruling datu and acted as a court of appeal for certain cases. It could authorize or oversee taxes and tributes, decide on penalties for offenses, and help determine questions of policy, alliance, and succession. Decisions were typically made through consensus or majority in deliberations held at central meeting places; the proceedings were often transmitted orally and could be codified in local memory or in ritual practice.

Composition generally drew from the aristocratic or influential families within a community. Members were chosen for experience, status, and esteem within the polity, and the body operated under the higher authority of the datu or rajah whom it served. Regional variations existed, and similar councils appeared under different names in other Philippine regions, reflecting local customs and governance structures.

Decline and legacy: With the arrival of Spanish colonial rule, many indigenous political institutions were reorganized, restricted, or superseded by colonial legal and administrative systems. The Lagting, where it persisted, did so in altered forms or within communities continuing to observe customary practices. In modern scholarship, the Lagting is discussed as part of the study of precolonial governance, customary law, and the political organization of early Filipino polities. See also: Datu, Barangay, Council of elders.