Produced by FPJ Productions, Agila ng Maynila was released on December 25, 1988, as part of the 14th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

Agila ng Maynila was given a "P-15" rating by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB),[2] and was released on December 25, 1988, as one of the official entries for the 14th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

[3] On its opening day, Agila ng Maynila grossed ₱2.570 million, ahead of other MMFF films.

[4][8] Lav Diaz, writing for the Manila Standard, grouped Agila ng Maynila with Celestina Sanchez, Alyas Bubbles – Enforcer: Ativan Gang and Patrolman as films which directly placed the "dark face of the police establishment" on public trial.

Though Diaz did not give an assessment of the film's quality, he described it as possessing a positive outlook, with the main character having the perspective that society needs only a hero to fix its problems and the police.