NBI exec faces land-grabbing raps

An official of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is facing charges of graft and grave misconduct before the Office of the Ombudsman and a disbarment case before the Supreme Court (SC) after he allegedly forcibly took over the land owned by one of his former confidential agents.

Domingo Divina, 46, filed charges against lawyer Oscar Embido, an assistant regional director of the NBI-Anti-Organized Crime Division (AOCD), for allegedly taking his family’s land located at Purok 3 Zone 8 in Cupang, Antipolo City.

For about three years, Divina served as a confidential agent for Embido during the latter’s term as head of the Intelligence Special Operations Division (ISOD).

Divina reportedly asked Embido to assist him in preparing a title for two parcels of land that he inherited from his parents.

Embido reportedly made a “waiver of right” but Divina reportedly did not understand the contents since he only finished third grade.

Despite not fully comprehending the document and Embido failing to explain its contents, Divina said he still affixed his signature because he trusted Embido’s promise that he would name Divina as the owner in the land title. Divina then left all the original documents in Embido’s care.

However, in 2004, three years after signing the alleged waiver, Divina said Embido told them to forcibly vacate from the land and claimed that he is the new owner.

In a three-page complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, Divina said they were unable to do anything to stop the takeover because armed men accompanied Embido, who also assigned caretakers to oversee the property.

Divina also asked Chief Justice Reynato Puno to strip Embido of his license to practice law. Puno endorsed the complaint to Ma. Cristina Lalusa, Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant.

Embido, on the other hand, said while he knows Divina as a confidential agent of the bureau, he denies the land-grabbing allegations.

He claimed that Divina approached him and asked for his help. But upon learning that he would have to shell out a large sum of money, Divina reportedly lost interest and decided to sell the property over to him.

Embido said he paid the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) about P20,000 as “sales patent” for the property, which is reportedly government land. He added that he gave Divina around P150,000 as financial assistance.

He said he was surprised to learn that Divina filed charges against him and promised to “answer these charges because I have all the documents. When he was our asset, he did not have any job and that I was the one supplying food for him and his family since he has about eight children and three wives.”