With the goal of institutionalizing a nationwide legal aid program to improve the access to justice of the underprivileged, the Supreme Court of the Philippines launched the Unified Legal Aid Service (ULAS) Regional Consultations on April 12, 2024, kicking off with the first leg at Saint Louis University (SLU), Baguio City.

Led by the Technical Working Group (TWG) to Draft the ULAS Rules under the chairmanship of Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, the four-leg ULAS Regional Consultations serves as an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the proposed Rules, deliberate on its salient provisions, and provide feedback and insights that will be taken into consideration in drafting the final Rules.

The proposed Rules will require covered lawyers to render at least 60 hours of pro bono legal aid services every compliance period of three years in favor of indigent Filipinos and those belonging to the marginalized sectors. This is pursuant to the constitutional guarantee of adequate legal assistance to all Filipinos.

Being consultative in nature, the highlight of each leg of the ULAS Regional Consultations is the breakout session where participants are given the opportunity to discuss the proposed Rules, review its provisions, and voice out their suggestions. Each breakout session is one hour and forty-five minutes long, with the participants divided into breakout rooms with corresponding facilitators.

Participants consist of lawyers from small-sized firms, lawyers from medium/large-sized firms, solo practitioners, in-house counsels, lawyers employed by NGOs/NPOs, and members of the academe.

Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo was keynote speaker at the Baguio leg, while Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen gave an Inspirational Message. Justice Caguioa presented to the participants an overview of the Court’s legal aid initiatives and the need for, and reasons behind, the drafting of the ULAS Rules. Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, Vice-Chairperson of the TWG to Draft the ULAS Rules, delivered the Closing Remarks.

Other speakers during the program were Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, President of SLU; Dr. Moya Collett, Acting Ambassador of the Australian Embassy to the Philippines; Atty. Tranquil S. Salvador III of Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De los Angeles and Atty. Ian Daniel B. Galang of Villanueva Gabionza & Dy, both members of the TWG to Draft the ULAS Rules.

The next legs of the ULAS Regional Consultations will be held in Cagayan de Oro City on April 18, 2024; in Makati City on May 17, 2024; and in Iloilo City on a date that is yet to be finalized.

Input and suggestions gathered during the ULAS Regional Consultations will be compiled and submitted to the ULAS TWG for consolidation and drafting of the final Rules, which, in turn, will be submitted to the Court En Banc for consideration.

The proposed ULAS Rules is the third initiative of the Supreme Court to institute a legal aid program, following the Rule on Mandatory Legal Aid Service for Practicing Lawyers (MLAS) and the Rule on Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS). The implementation of both the MLAS and the CLAS were suspended due to various administrative issues and the sentiments of the lawyers covered.

Despite the unfortunate fate of its predecessors, the Supreme Court remains optimistic with the ULAS Rules, which was drafted precisely to meet the problems identified with the MLAS and CLAS experiences. One example concerns the scope of creditable legal services. Under the MLAS, creditable work was limited to litigation law practice. Although the scope of services creditable was later expanded under the CLAS, its enumeration of creditable services still imposed significant restrictions and excluded most services that can be considered law practice.

On the other hand, under the proposed ULAS Rules, any service involving the application of law will now be creditable. This allows non-litigation lawyers to render services in their respective fields of expertise and provide legal assistance to qualified beneficiaries, particularly (a) indigents; (b) members of a marginalized sector with respect to their public interest cases; and (c) non-governmental and non-profit organizations with respect to cases or matters that are beneficial to indigents and members of a marginalized sector with respect to their public interest cases.

The ULAS Regional Consultations is organized by the Supreme Court TWG to Draft the ULAS Rules. This initiative is supported by the Australian Government through its Fostering Advancement of Inclusive and Rights-based (FAIR) Justice Program and conducted in partnership with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

More information regarding the ULAS Rules and the ULAS Regional Consultations is available in the SC website at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/ulas. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)