Lawyer Mae Divinagracia is among the private lawyers assisting the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
On Day 18, Divinagracia conducts the direct examination of Office of the Vice President Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, who was declared a hostile witness by the impeachment court, in connection with Article I of the Articles of Impeachment, which involves the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds-P500 million from the OVP and P112.5 million from the Department of Education (DepEd).
The private prosecutor is a litigation lawyer and a name partner at Co Nazario Velasco-Catera and Divinagracia (CNDV) Law Offices.
She was the lawyer of the late Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maria Catalina ‘Cathy’ Cabral.
During the House prosecution team’s briefing in June, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima introduced Divinagracia as one of the private lawyers joining the prosecution team on a pro bono basis.
De Lima described her as an expert in commercial, civil and criminal litigation.
Divinagracia also has legal expertise in arbitration, product liability, corporate rehabilitation, intra-corporate controversies, labor and family law.
Divinagracia earned her Bachelor of Science in Legal Management, Minor in Marketing, from Ateneo de Manila University in 2003.
From the same university, she graduated Juris Doctor in 2007.
Also in 2007, Divinagracia began her law career and was named a senior associate five years later.
In 2013, she also founded the Aguila Rances and Divina Law Offices before she joined CNVD Law.
Divinagracia also teaches law part-time at Ateneo./