TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
'lb JIJL 14 All :13
SENATE
S. No.
506
Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM 
FOR DESERVING STUDENTS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Bill of Rights directs the State to uphold the right of every citizen to free 
access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and ensure that adequate legal 
assistance shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty. However, in many 
communities around the country, the shortage of government lawyers, prosecutors, 
public attorneys, and legal aid providers remains a barrier to the effective exercise of 
such rights.
This bill seeks to address this gap by establishing the Legal Scholarship and 
Return Service Program which will provide financial support to prospective or current 
law students, who would then be required to perform return service, thereby delivering 
legal services particularly to the poor and marginalized sectors, and to public servants 
in need of legal protection in connection to the performance of their respective duties 
and functions.
Through this proposed measure, public legal institutions will be strengthened, 
the quality of public legal services will be enhanced, legal education will be 
democratized and public service culture among legal professionals will be promoted.
In line with these intentions, the passage of the bill is hereby sought.
FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO


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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
23 JUL 14 All :13
SENATE
'V '
S. No.
506
Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM 
FOR DESERVING STUDENTS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assem bled:
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Abogado Para sa Bayan
Act".
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
uphold the right to free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and ensure that 
adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty. 
Towards this end, and in cognizance of the constitutional directive to provide for 
preventive measures and legal aid services to the underprivileged whose human rights 
have been violated or need protection, the State shall establish a legal scholarship and 
return service program to assist deserving students pursue legal education who shall 
eventually render legal services in government offices.
Sec. 3. Legal Scholarship and Return Service Program. - There shall be 
established a Legal Scholarship and Return Service (LSRS) Program for deserving 
students who intend to pursue a Juris Doctor degree in state universities and colleges 
(SUCs) or in partner private higher education institutions (HEIs) in regions where there 
are no SUC offering Juris Doctor degree. The LSRS Program shall provide the following 
benefits to qualified legal education students:


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(a) 
Free tuition and other school fees, including but not limited to: student 
registration fees, library fees, and publication fees;
(b) Allowance for prescribed books and supplies;
(c) 
Allowance for review fees for government-mandated bar exams; and
(d) Allowance for licensure fees.
Sec. 4. Qualifications and Requirements. - In order to be qualify for the grant 
of scholarship under the LSRS Program, a prospective or current legal education 
student must satisfy the following requirements:
(a) 
Must be a Filipino citizen residing in the Philippines;
(b) 
Must not have completed a Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws degree from 
any HEI offering legal education;
(c) 
Must be a graduating student or a graduate of an undergraduate degree 
program; and
(d) 
Must have passed the entrance examination and complied with other 
requirements for admission into the Juris Doctor degree program offered by the SUC 
or private HEI where the student intends to enroll.
Sec. 5. Conditions for the Grant of Legal Scholarship. - Qualified students 
accepted into the LSRS Program shall be subject to the following conditions:
(a) 
Must sign an agreement stating the terms and conditions of the 
scholarship which shall be prescribed by the Legal Education Board (LEB);
(b) 
Must carry full load of subjects prescribed per semester by the SUC or 
private HEI concerned, and shall not, under any circumstance, drop a course which 
would result in underloading;
(c) 
Must finish the Juris Doctor degree program within the prescribed time 
frame of the SUC or private HEI where the scholar is enrolled in, subject to the 
retention policies of the SUC or private HEI concerned: Provided, That a scholar who 
is already enrolled, may be allowed, for valid and justifiable reasons, to file a leave of 
absence;
(d) 
Must take the bar examination within a maximum period of one (1) year 
after completion of the Juris Doctor degree;
(e) 
Must render return service as provided under Section 7 of this Act.


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Section 6. Disqualifications. - The scholarship grant shall terminate, and the
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recipient of legal scholarship shall repay the full cost of scholarship and related benefits
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received, including all the expenses incurred during the participation in the LSRS
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program, in case of the following circumstances:
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(a) If the scholar fails to meet the academic requirements or to complete the
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course within the prescribed period without valid cause as may be determined by the
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sue or private HEI concerned;
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(b) If the scholar commits gross misconduct in a manner that would bring
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significant damage to the LEB, SUC or private HEI concerned or to the community as
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a whole.
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Sec. 7. Mandatory Return Service. - Within five (5) years from admission to the
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practice of law, a scholar shall render mandatory return service for two (2) years in
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government agencies, including, but not limited to: the Public Attorney's Office,
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National Prosecution Service, Department of Education, Department of Environment
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and Natural Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department
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of Health, Department of Justice, Department of National Defense, Department of
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Social Welfare and Development, the Courts, or in government agencies and
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instrumentalities that provide legal services to: (i) poor and marginalized individuals
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and communities, and (ii) public school teachers, public health workers, and military
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and uniformed personnel involved in cases arising from or in connection with the
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performance of their duties and functions: Provided, That the mandatory return
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service shall be separate and distinct from the Clinical Legal Education Program as
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provided under Rule 138-A of the Rules of Court: Provided, further. That beneficiaries
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of LSRS Program appointed to piantiHa positions shall receive the appropriate salaries,
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benefits and other emoluments for services rendered under the mandatory return
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service; Provided, furthermore. That beneficiaries of LSRS Program who, after three
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(3) years from admission to the practice of law, fails to secure appointment in
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government shall have the option to: (i) pay the full cost of scholarship and related
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benefits received, including all the expenses incurred during the participation in the
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LSRS Program; or (ii) undertake alternative compliance program to be formulated by
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the LEB pursuant to the provisions of this Act and Republic Act (RA) No. 9999,


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otherwise known as the Free Legal Assistance Act of 2010: Provided, finally, That in
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the application of Republic Act No. 9999, the allowable deduction from the gross
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income shall be the amount that could have been collected from the actual free legal
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services rendered or up to twenty percent (20%) of the gross income derived from
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the actual performance of the legal profession, whichever is lower.
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Sec. 8. Number and Allocation of Students to be Admitted in the Program. -
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Prior to the implementation of this Act and every five (5) years thereafter, the LEB
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shall, in consultation with Philippine Association of Law Schools and participating HEIs
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and upon the assessment of the shortage of legal practitioners in the public sector,
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determine the appropriate number and geographic allocation of scholars to be
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admitted in the LSRS Program.
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Sec. 9. Harmonization with the Clinical Legal Education Program. - Pursuant to
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Section 5 (5), Article VIII of the Constitution, the Legal Education Board shall adopt
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the policy on the Revised Law Student Practice Rule, ensure that law students
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participate in the clinical legal education programs in all legal education institutions,
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define the scope of service to be rendered by law students in the said program,
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contribute to access to justice of the marginalized sectors, enhance learning
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opportunities of law students, instill among them social responsibility and awareness,
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and prepare them for the practice of law.
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Section 10. Sanctions. - Any lawyer who has availed of the benefits under the
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LSRS Program but fails or refuses to comply with the mandatory return service as
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provided under this Act shall be required to pay twice the amount of scholarship,
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including other benefits received by reason of participation in the LSRS Program:
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Provided, That the penalty imposed herein shall not apply to lawyers who fail to comply
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with the required return service by reason of force majeure or not due to their fault
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or negligence.
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Sec. 11. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of this
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Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
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Sec. 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from
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the effectivity of this Act, the LEB shall, in consultation with the Philippine Association
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of Law Schools, Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges and
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Commission on Higher Education, promulgate the rules and regulations to effectively
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implement the provisions of this Act.
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Sec. 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
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unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall
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remain in full force and effect.
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Sec. 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
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rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of
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this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
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Sec. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately following its
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publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,