New lawyers told to render 120 hours of free legal service

NEW lawyers, beginning with those who passed the Bar examination this year, are again being required to provide 120 hours of free legal services for one year to those who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer, an executive judge here said.

Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Dennis Alcantar on Tuesday, October 24, said the rule is an old practice that is being re-implemented with an extended number of hours of rendering pro bono services for newly minted lawyers.

"It's an old practice. New lawyers are required to render legal services especially to those who cannot afford. Gibalik ra na, ga-renewed effort, pero bag-o ang (It was renewed, just with new) number of hours, new lawyers, pero (but) that practice is an old practice and that was encouraged," Alcantar said.

According to the rule, known as the Community Legal Aid Service Rule, new lawyers are required to render 120 hours of pro bono legal aid services to qualified parties within the first year of the covered lawyers' admission to the Bar, counted from the time they signed the Roll of Attorneys.

"If they cannot comply with that, dili sila ma-certify that they have complied, dili dawaton ilang mga papeles, dili sila makaapil sa korte, requirement man sa MLCE (Mandatory Continuing Legal Education)," the executive judge said.

The parties qualified for the free legal aid under the rule are: indigent party or pauper litigants; other persons of limited means; individuals, groups or organizations rendered unable to secure free legal assistance by reason of conflict of interest on the part of government-provided legal assistance through the Public Attorney's Office; and public interest cases that have societal impact and involved a group or sector of society that otherwise would not be capable of securing legal assistance by reason of inability of other lawyers, law firms, or government offices, including the Public Attorney's Office.

Lawyer Al Ponciano Datu, meanwhile, said he has no complaints with the mandated rule, adding that he can at least provide services to the less fortunate in the community.

"Dili man ta makabalibad ana kay sa Supreme Court man gyud na, so once nga mopakanaog sila ila gyud na ipatuman tapos as officers of the court, we have no other way but to follow it. Pero sa ako, uyon man sad ko ana kay at least maka render pud tag service sa community. So makatabang ta adtong mga tao nga less fortunate or who have less in life lugar. So at least positive lang gihapon kay unsa man lugar ang atong natun-an, ato pong ikapaambit didto sa katawhan sa atong komunida (We cannot refuse since it's a rule from the Supreme Court and as officers of the court, we have no other way but to follow it. But for me, I agree with the rule for at least I can render services to the community. We can help those less fortunate or who have less in life. So at least I can stay positive since it's a way to share what I learned to the people in the community)," Datu said.

On Tuesday, the new Hall of Justice in Goldridge Building, Masterson Avenue, corner PN Roa Avenue, Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, was inaugurated, more than three years after the old Hall of Justice building burned down.

Jenny Lind Aldecoa-Delorino, deputy court administrator of the Supreme Court, in her message during the inauguration, said they are already working on the design and engineering details of the permanent building of the Hall of Justice which will be on the same place where the old building was located.

"Optimistically speaking, siguro mga (maybe after) five years. That's fast for Supreme Court standards," Delorino said.

Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno, meanwhile, said he suggested a plan to expand the proposed site of the Court of Appeals in Taguanao, Cagayan de Oro City and make it a Judicial center.

"I suggested, we could expand the proposed site of the Court of the Appeals and make it a Judicial center where all the courts and all the offices of the Department of Justice would also be placed plus areas for housing, especially for the Court of Appeals," Moreno said.

Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, meanwhile, said the mayor's plan will still be under feasibility study on whether the plan can be pursued or not.

Present in the inauguration were Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Dennis Alcantar, Deputy Court Administrator of the Supreme Court Jenny Lind Aldecoa-Delorino, Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Vicente Emano, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, Vice Governor Jose Mari Pelaez, Vice Mayor Joaquin Raineir Uy and Executive Judge Cesar Merlas.

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