Like any other sector of society, the ordinary members of
the military and police, officers and enlisted personnel, should not be denied
access to legal assistance, a lawmaker insists.
Rep. Felix William B. Fuentebella is seeking to provide free
legal assistance to any officer or enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), who is facing
legal complaints arising from incidents related to the performance of their
official duties.
“In our country, most people may construe the law as
favoring the rich over the poor,” the young Fuentebella laments as he urged
passage of House Bill No. 6026, now referred to the Committee on National
Defense for appropriate action.
HB 6026 is entitled “An Act providing free legal assistance
to any officer or enlisted personnel of the AFP and the PNP on any charge
before the prosecutor’s office, court, administrative or any competent body
arising from an incident or incidents related to the performance of official
duty and appropriating funds therefor.”
The author noted that ordinary citizen, like those officers
and lowly enlisted personnel of the AFP and the PNP cannot afford to engage the
services of a lawyer due to the prohibitive cost of legal services, even to
defend themselves of charges related to the performance of their official
duties.
“Under HB 6026, the Secretary of Justice, the Chief of Staff
of the AFP, the Chairperson of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) or the
Chief of the PNP shall authorize any lawyer or lawyers of their respective
agencies to provide free legal assistance to any officer or enlisted
personnel,” Fuentebella said.
Furthermore, the measure provides that any amount necessary
to implement the proposed Act shall be charged against the appropriation of the
DOJ, AFP, Napolcom and PNP of the year following its enactment into law and
thereafter.
The DOJ, in coordination with the AFP, Napolcom and the PNP,
shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the proposed
statute.
Concerned about the situation where most people in the lower
echelon of society could not afford the high cost of legal services, the lawmaker
could not help but echo the words of former Vice President Salvador P. Laurel.
“Without justice, no one can feel secure. Without security,
there can be no faith. Without faith, there can be no peace. And without peace,
this nation may perish,” Fuentebella said, echoing the very words of the former
statesman, Vice President Laurel.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=819150
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