Senate panel says UST law dean Divina should resign, recommends disbarment

A Senate committee has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to initiate disciplinary or disbarment proceedings against University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina, and told the dean to resign from his post following the death of student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III.

Senate Committee Report No. 232 filed Tuesday recommended such proceedings against Divina, alumnni, and other members of the Aegis Juris fraternity that had knowledge of Castillo’s death but failed to report it to authorities.

“Although we recognize the number of disbarment cases pending before the Supreme Court, it is humbly requested that the issue at hand be given preference and be dealt with as soon as possible considering that another life was lost because of the barbaric practices of the fraternity,” it said.

“The actions taken by these members constitute grossly immoral conduct that is shocking, against the decency expected from lawyers and a mockery of the legal profession,” the report added.

Depriving Divina and the other lawyer-members of Aegis Juris to practice law is needed “in order to set an example,” it said.

Castillo, a freshman law student, died of “severe blunt traumatic injuries” September last year after attending the "welcoming rites" of the Aegis Juris fraternity.

Criminal complaints have already been filed against members of the fraternity responsible for Castillo’s death.

The committee also took note how Divina supposedly lied for claiming that he has severed ties with Aegis Juris since he assumed role as dean in 2009.

It further said that Divina should not have allowed six out of the 10 frat members responsible for Castillo’s death to enroll because they failed to meet the academic standards of the UST Faculty of Civil Law.

“With respect to Dean Divina, photos showing his active participation during fraternity anniversaries and his discretionary acts before and even after Castillo’s death negate his neverending claims of temporarily severing ties with the fraternity,” the committee said.

It said that for so long as Divina remains in office, possible witnesses may opt to keep silent so as not to risk their grades and chances of graduating.

“If the Dean had the courtesy to take a leave of absence from the fraternity so as not to lead under a cloud of bias in favor of his fraternity brothers as he claims to be, with more reason for him to humbly step down as dean and let the investigation take its own course,” the committee said.

“That is the least he can do to make up for the injustice done to the Castillo family,” it added.

Divina has yet to reply to GMA News Online's request for comment. —ALG, GMA News