UST law dean fined for sponsoring ’ostentatious’ trips for IBP officers
The Supreme Court (SC) has fined Nilo Divina, dean of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Faculty of Civil Law, for sponsoring expensive trips for officers of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Central Luzon chapter, raising questions over the integrity and independence of the IBP.
The high court found Divina guilty of simple misconduct, ruling that his actions compromised the integrity of the IBP.
The ruling came after an anonymous letter accused Divina of engaging in illegal campaigning for the IBP-Central Luzon governorship.
According to the letter, Divina funded trips to Balesin Island Club in 2022 and Bali, Indonesia, in 2023, providing cash and gift checks worth hundreds of thousands of pesos to current IBP officers.
The SC determined that these actions constituted impropriety, violating the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability.
“The receipt of these gifts, which are nothing short of exorbitant, reflects on their ability to act with propriety and maintain the appearance of propriety in personal and professional dealings,” the high court said in its ruling.
The Court ruled that the gifts created a sense of obligation among the recipients and were not intended for the benefit of the IBP’s constituents.
It also found that Divina’s behavior raised questions about the integrity, fairness and independence of the IBP.
“Although Atty. Divina claims his intentions in supporting the IBP and its activities are out of generosity, the sponsorship of the trips of the IBP-Central Luzon officers to Balesin Island Club and to Bali, Indonesia crossed the borders on excessive and overstepped the line of propriety,” the SC stated.
However, the Court cleared Divina of any illegal campaigning related to IBP elections, finding no evidence of intent to run for governor.
In a decision penned by Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, the SC En Banc imposed a P100,000 fine on Divina, who is also a member of the IBP-Tarlac chapter.
Other IBP officers who received gifts were also penalized with fines of P100,000 each.
Divina claimed that the activities he had sponsored were “unconditional and borne out of goodwill,” according to a report by The Flame, the official student publication of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters.
He plans to file a motion asking the SC to reconsider its ruling.
The IBP, which was established in 1973, is the official organization of all Filipino lawyers.
