A University of Santo Tomas (UST) dean judged guilty of Simple Misconduct for sponsoring the out-of-town trips of Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) officers will call on the Supreme Court to reconsider his case, arguing he had only carried out "basic duties" to the IBP community.
"I believe in every lawyer's basic duty to exert any effort he can, to bring about the fulfillment of the objectives of the integrated bar of the philippines—the community which every lawyer belongs to," the head of the Faculty of Civil Law, Atty. Nilo Divina, said in a statement.
He claimed that, in his endeavor to fulfill this obligation, he funded two trips for the IBP-Central Luzon Chapter.
Divina was pleased that the Supreme Court had found him innocent of illegal campaigning activities; it was determined that his sponsorship of those trips was unrelated to the IBP elections.
The "act of generosity" however, was deemed in violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA), Canon IV, Sec. 34, which is misconduct sans the "manifest elements of corruption, clear intent to violate the law or flagrant disregard of established rules."
Wholly confident in the "wisdom of the Supreme Court, the legal process, and in the rule of law," the lawyer seeks to file a motion for reconsideration.
"I sincerely hope that by providing additional context, the Supreme Court will appreciate my perspective," Divina said.
"My commitment to upholding the highest standards of professional conduct remains unwavering and I reaffirm my dedication to ethical practices in all my professional dealing and interactions," he concluded.
Divina, a member of the IBP-Tarlac Chapter, had subsidized IBP Central Luzon members' trips to Balesin Island Club in 2022, and in the next year, to Bali, Indonesia, additionally giving them cash and gift checks amounting to hundreds of thousands of pesos.
An anonymous tip alleged he was illegally campaigning for the IBP-Central Luzon Governor seat. The Supreme Court's ruling was decided en banc and imposed on Divina a fine of P100,000.
