Comelec chair’s wife files disbarment case vs. Civil Law dean, 20 others

by Philip Jamilla

Patricia Bautista, estranged wife of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista, filed before the Supreme Court a disbarment complaint against Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina and 20 of his associates earlier today, Sept. 26.

Mrs. Bautista claimed that Divina and his law firm, DivinaLaw, violated the Code of Professional Responsibility over their ties with the Comelec chairman, whom she accused last August of receiving payoffs from Divina.

Divina allegedly issued checks named to the Comelec chair for referring clients to Divina’s law firm, with Mrs. Bautista citing a “commission sheet” dated January 2016 bearing the names of 20 lawyers from DivinaLaw.

She also accused the Civil Law dean of receiving commissions on behalf of the Comelec chair, from Smartmatic, supplier of the machines used during the May 2016 polls.

The Civil Law dean has denied these accusations.

“I assure you that I have not been involved in any illegal or unethical activity and all my dealings are fair and above-board,” Divina said in a statement last August (READ: Dekano ng Batas Sibil, itinanggi ang pagbibigay ng komisyon kay Comelec chair).

Divina is also currently embroiled in the controversy surrounding the death of Civil Law freshman Horacio Castillo III, who died while undergoing the hazing rites of the Aegis Jvris fraternity.

Divina is an alumnus of the said fraternity.

This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates.