The Supreme Court, in a decision written by Associate Justice Samuel H. Gaerlan, has fined lawyer Nilo T. Divina P100,000 for paying the travel expenses of officials from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Central Luzon chapter.
According to the country's highest court, an anonymous letter accused Atty. Divina of sponsoring trips to Balesin Island Club in Quezon in 2022 and Bali, Indonesia, in 2023.
The letter alleged that these trips were part of his "illegal campaigning" to become IBP-Central Luzon Governor. It also claimed that he handed out large sums of money and gift checks during his campaign.
Atty. Divina denied campaigning but admitted to paying for the trips, saying it was an act of generosity toward fellow lawyers.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that his actions were inappropriate because the beneficiaries, who were all IBP officers and not general members, might feel obligated to him. The Court also noted that these actions could undermine the integrity of the IBP officers.
The Supreme Court said six other lawyers were also found to have violated the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) in connection with this case.
Despite these findings, Atty. Divina was not found to have violated any IBP election rules.
The Supreme Court ordered the elections for the IBP-Central Luzon governor to proceed as scheduled.
