Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In 2018, two thousand ninety-six (2096) lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) had to 
accommodate almost a million cases. This meant that each public attorney had to handle as many 
as 465 cases during that year. Since 2014, the PAO has only added 500 lawyers to its office 
despite the steady increase in clients across the years. Most of the clientele of the PAO are 
underprivileged families, which could not afford to hire lawyers from private firms. 
It is the responsibility of the State to ensure that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or 
property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the 
laws. Our constitution likewise provides that “Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies 
and adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty.” In 
recognition of these constitutional provisions, the State must devise a way to recruit more people 
to the PAO, to better serve the poor and the marginalized.  
This measure seeks to incentivize law students to eventually join the ranks of the Public Attorney’s 
Office through the Abogado Para sa Bayan Program. The program will be a return service 
agreement wherein a law student under the program may avail of financial assistance from the 
government, provided that he shall serve as a public attorney under the PAO for at least five (5) 
years.  
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of the 
Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
August 22, 2022
8:01 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
TO ENCOURAGE MORE FILIPINO LAWYERS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE AND JOIN THE 
PUBLIC ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, ESTABLISHING FOR THE PURPOSE THE "ABOGADO 
PARA SA BAYAN" RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Abogado Para sa Bayan Act”. 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State shall ensure that no person shall be deprived of life, 
liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal 
protection of the laws. The State shall also provide free and adequate legal assistance to all 
citizens regardless of economic standing. The State shall hereby establish a program to encourage 
more lawyers to serve the people and to guarantee that there shall be, at all times, a sufficient 
number of lawyers to provide free and adequate legal services to indigent and under-privileged 
Filipinos in need of legal assistance.  
Sec. 3. Abogado Para sa Bayan Program. – Under the Declared Policy of this Act, there shall 
be established an “Abogado Para Sa Bayan Program”, hereafter referred to as" the Program under 
the Public Attorney's Office (PAO). 
Sec. 4. Assistance to Grantees. – The grantee shall be entitled to financial assistance which 
shall include tuition and other school fees, outright grant for prescribed textbooks and essential 
school supplies, transportation expenses, and monthly living allowance: Provided, that the 
financial assistance provided herein shall be reviewed and adjusted to its value using the 
Consumer Price Index (CPI) as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) five (5) years 
from the implementation of this Act, and every five (5) years thereafter.  
Sec. 5. Qualifications. – To qualify for the Program, the applicant must meet the following 
requirements: 
a) Must have a bachelor's degree from a reputable tertiary education institution;
b) Must have passed the entrance exam of any reputable law school selected by the DOJ;
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c) Must be currently enrolled in a Juris Doctor (JD) or Legum Baccalareus (LLB) course in a 
reputable law school selected by the DOJ; and 
d) Must be of good moral character. 
Sec. 6. Service Obligations. – Immediately upon signing the roll of attorneys, the grantee shall 
serve for five (5) years as a public attorney in an area identified by the Public Attorney's Office 
(PAO): Provided, that areas with the lowest number of public attorneys shall be prioritized.  
Sec. 7. Selection of Law Schools. – Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the 
DOJ shall identify the law schools which shall be covered under this Act; Provided, that the PAO 
shall ensure that the selected law schools shall be of unquestionable reputation.  
Sec. 8. Appropriations. – The amounts necessary for the effective implementation of this Act 
shall be included under the appropriations of the Public Attorney's Office under the annual General 
Appropriations Act.  
Sec. 9. Annual Report. – Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, and every year 
thereafter, the PAO shall submit an annual report on the implementation of this Act to the Senate 
and the House of Representatives of the Philippines. 
Sec. 10. Penalties. –  
a) Any grantee who fails to comply with the service obligations set forth under Section 7 of 
this Act shall be, upon conviction, to pay a fine equivalent to the total financial assistance 
which they received under this Act, or a fine of Php One Million Pesos (Php 1,000,000.00), 
whichever is greater; 
b) Any government official who uses the Program for partisan political activity shall, upon 
conviction, suffer the penalty of imprisonment of six (6) months to one (1) year and/or a 
fine of not less than Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php 50,000.00) to One Hundred Thousand 
Pesos (Php 100,000.00), at the discretion of the court, and without prejudice to further 
prosecution and conviction under other administrative and criminal laws. 
For this Act, "Partisan political activity' refers to activities, statements, or manifestations, which 
solely or primarily serve to campaign for or against any particular political party or candidate for 
any elective public office.  
Sec. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity 
of this Act, the PAO shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations necessary to 
implement this Act.  
Sec. 12. Separability Clause. – If for any reason, any part, section, or provision of this Act is 
held invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall continue to 
be in full force and effect.  
Sec. 13. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, rules and 
regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.  


Sec. 14. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,