Fourteen law student practitioners of the School of Law of the University of Negros Occidental Recoletos Bacolod rendered free legal services to 150 persons deprived of liberty detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City recently.
Law student practitioner Abegail Bayona shared that they gave a seminar on Probation Law, Parole about Interminate Sentence Law, and Good Conduct Time Allowance, in consultation with the jail officers of BJMP as to what topics would be most helpful for the PDLs.
Law student practitioners Dianne Artos and Maharajah Rajhs Entila delivered the topic on Probation, Natasha Mantile and Valerie Durias for Parole, and Abegail Bayona for Good Conduct Time Allowance.
After the seminar, there was an open forum where several PDLs asked questions about how plea bargaining works in drug cases and who is qualified to avail of it.
The PDLs were also allowed to individually approach the law student practitioners to consult on legal matters limited to questions of law and criminal procedure.
However, questions on legal strategy were not entertained to uphold ethical standards of non-encroachment on the issues of PDLs who are already represented by lawyers.
BJMP Warden JSupt. Abner Zamora and Paralegal Officer Mark Aranduque were most helpful in welcoming and orienting the law students on the whole-of-government approach to rehabilitating the PDLs.
This connection came through with the help of Jail Officers Ronilo Sabornay and Monique Vianey Genovata.
Other law students who rendered legal services include Janica Divinagracia, EJ Gwynn Bonghanoy, Zahara Nica Ojoy, Carlo Marañon, Lea Joy Hiponia, Nikko Alelojo, Caryle Gosiaoco, Sheena Ecill, and Jade Princess Santiago.
The Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP) is spearheaded by CLEP Supervising lawyer Atty. Aiken Alagban under School of Law Dean Atty. Dodie Turla.*