In a bid to ensure access to legal services for the less fortunate, the City Government of Davao on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Davao City for the Extended Legal Aid Program.
Atty. Antoinette Principe of the IBP Davao City Chapter said that for years now, the IBP has been representing indigent litigants living in the city.
“As of January 2025, the IBP Davao City Legal Aid Program, through its lone designated lawyer, Atty. Joseph Brian Atensor, and volunteer lawyers have handled hundreds of judicial and quasi-judicial cases,” she said.
She added that through the expanded legal aid program, the IBP, along with the city government, aims to hire more lawyers to cater to less fortunate clients, those who cannot be represented by the City Prosecutor’s Office and the Public Attorney’s Office due to conflict of interest, help decongest jails, and help litigants attain justice.
Mayor Sebastian Duterte shared that the initiative was born from the barangay caravans that the city government has been conducting.
He said that during his time visiting barangays, majority of the concerns lobbied by Dabawenyos are related to health and legal services.
Duterte said that it is only imperative for the city government to allot funds for legal services that are free and accessible to Dabawenyos.
“I also believe that it can promote socio-economic growth because people will feel, especially the constituents of this LGU, will feel that opportunities are not exclusive or open only to people who have money and who are well-off in life,” he added.
“This is meant and reserved for those who cannot afford it, so that’s why as mayor, [since] we have resources in the government, then we should allocate some of it to legal services,” Duterte said.
The City Government of Davao will provide the IBP with financial assistance amounting to P2 million per annum.
“In turn, the IBP will select and appoint one chief legal aid lawyer and two assistant legal aid lawyers. This is in pursuit of our goal and enforcing the rights of free access to courts by the poor as guaranteed under Section 11 Article 3 of the constitution,” Principe said.
Atty. Ferdinand Taglucop, IBP Davao City Chapter President, extended his gratitude to the city government of Davao for its support to the legal aid program.
“It is a testament to our shared commitment to make justice more available, especially sa mga less privileged. It reflects a vision that is a Davao City where every citizen regardless of status has the means to assert their rights, to seek regress, and to be heard,” he said. CIO
