Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 7035

Introduced by

AKO BICOL PARTYLIST REPRESENTATIVE
RAUL ANGELO “JIL” D. BONGALON

AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7662, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS

THE LEGAL EDUCATION REFORM ACT OF 1993, CREATING FOR THE

PURPOSE A LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article III Section 11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution unequivocally
states that there should be access to courts and quasi-judicial bodies and
adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty
and yet effective and relevant access to the justice system by the poor and
marginalized continues to be an aspiration, further highlighting the disparity on
the attainment of justice amongst socio-economic classes.

According to the World Justice Project 2018 Survey, only 20 percent of
Filipinos are able to access legal help, leaving 80 percent of Filipinos without
legal assistance. Worse, of that 20 percent, 72 percent sought legal help from
friends and families while 15 percent sought the help of lawyers, and the rest
from institutions. In a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) survey,
the common reasons why Filipinos were not able to access legal services were
the cost, the inconvenience, the time spent pursuing legal remedies, and the
sheer lack of contact with lawyers.

The Public Attorney's Office (PAO), an agency under the Department of
Justice, maintains the duty of providing free legal representation to individuals
who either have no income or are below certain income thresholds in civil,
criminal, and administrative cases. Other government agencies similarly render
legal assistance in specific areas of the law, e.g., agrarian reform. Philippine
courts may also appoint lawyers to provide free representation to indigent
defendants in criminal cases. The Integrated Bar of the Philippines also provides
legal assistance to indigent Filipinos through the IBP Legal Aid Program, which
includes local legal aid committees throughout the Philippines.


Despite the presence of these mechanisms, as a nation, we still fail to
ensure the fulfillment of free and accessible legal assistance to our fellow
Filipinos. Presently, the Philippines is still gasping for an adequate pool of
lawyers and legal practitioners to usher in the delivery of justice for those who
demand and deserve it. Comparatively, in the United States of America, there is
one (1) lawyer for every 240 people. In the Philippines, there is roughly one (1)
lawyer for every 2,500 Filipinos, as revealed by the Foundation for Economic
Freedom, an international public advocacy organization.

Therefore, it is now established that we are working on a less ideal ratio of
lawyers versus the population they are expected to serve. Thus, it becomes
imperative for the government to foster a strong backbone for those who aim to
become practicing lawyers in our country. It is compulsory for the State to
champion affordable and accessible legal education, especially for those who
cannot financially afford it but possess the passion and capabilities of becoming
a fragment of the legal profession. Unfortunately, reality projects that in the
Philippines, in top private legal educational institutions, it costs around Php
75,000.00 - Php 98,000.00 per semester to study law, while tuition fees in state
universities range from Php 24,000 to Php 30,000.00, excluding all the living
expenses and other necessities; making the pursuit for legal education a matter
of privilege rather than a vocation. This now fortifies the need to provide legal
scholarships as an option for those who are qualified.

In addition, the requirement to render return service in the public sector
is seen to fill the gap in the scarcity of legal representation in our country as well
as alleviate the working condition of our incumbent public attorneys. This
measure is also expected to pave the way in guaranteeing that all legal interests
are being represented without prejudice to socio-economic status and uphold
the protection of rights of every Filipino, living in a country where the
preservation and observance of the rule of law is of utmost premium.

In view of the foregoing, the urgent passing of this bill is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 7035

Introduced by

AKO BICOL PARTYLIST REPRESENTATIVE
RAUL ANGELO “JIL” D. BONGALON

AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7662, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS.

THE LEGAL EDUCATION REFORM ACT OF 1993, CREATING FOR THE

PURPOSE A LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

SECTION 1. Long Title. - The long title of the Republic Act No. 7662,
otherwise known as the “Legal Education Reform Act of 1993,” shall be amended
as follows:

“An Act Providing for Reforms in the Legal Education, Creating for the
Purpose a Legal Education Board AND A LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND
RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM, and for Other Purposes”

SECTION 2. Short Title. — Section 1 of Republic Act No. 7662 shall be
amended to read as follows:

Section 1. Title- This Act shall be known as the “Legal Education Reform
AND LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE PROGRAM ACT.”

Section 3. Legal Scholarship Fund. — New Sections 11-A to 11-D shall
be inserted to read as follows:

Section 11-A. Establishment of the Legal Scholarship and Return Service
Program. - There shall be established a Legal Scholarship and Return
Service (LSRS) Program for deserving students in state universities and
colleges (SUCs) or in partner private higher education institutions (PHEIs)
in regions where there are no SUCs offering a Bachelor of Laws or Juris
Doctor Program: Provided, That the Legal Education Board may designate
more than one (1) partner higher education institutions (HEIs) in the
region, including regions where there are existing SUCs offering the

Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor Program as deemed necessary, upon
consultation with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Philippine
Association of Law Schools, and other relevant stakeholders.


In all case, qualified applicants from municipalities without an active
practicing lawyer providing pro bono services or other similar
organizations offering pro bono or discounted legal services or areas shall
be prioritized in the allocation of scholarship slots to ensure the
assignment of one (1) lawyer for every municipality in the country.

The LSRS, including the funding thereof, shall be administered by the
Legal Education Board, in coordination with the UniFAST Board created
under Republic Act No. 10687 or the “Unified Student Financial Assistance
System for Tertiaty Education (UniFAST) Act.”

Section 11-B. Coverage. The LSRS Program established under this Act
shall be made available to deserving Filipino students who want to pursue
a Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor degree.

The student financial assistance for the LSRS Program shall include the
following:

. Free tuition and other school fees;

Allowance for prescribed books;

Clothing or uniform allowance;

. Allowance for dormitory or boarding house accommodation;
Transportation allowance;

Bar review fees, including Bar examination application fees: Provided,

That the same shall only be available for the first two (2) bar

examinations taken;

g. Annual medical insurance; and

h. Other education-related miscellaneous subsistence or _ living

allowances.

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Section 11-C. Conditions for the Grant of Scholarship. - Deserving
students accepted to the LSRS Program shall be subject to the following
conditionalities:

a. Must sign an agreement stating the terms and conditions of the
scholarship on a form prescribed by the LEB pursuant to the provisions
of this Act,

b. Must carry the full load of subjects prescribed per semester by the SUC
or PHEI, and shall not, under any circumstances, drop a course which
will result in underloading;

c. Must meet all the academic requirements of the SUC or PHEI
concerned;

d. Must finish the entire Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor degree program
within the prescribed time frame of the SUC or PHEI where the scholar
is enrolled in, asubject to the retention policies of the SUC or phei;
Provided, That nothing herein shall prevent the scholar from applying
for a leave of absence for justifiable reason/s;

e. Must take the Bar examination within a maximum period of one (1) year
after completion of the degree program; and

f. Must render return service as provided under Section 11-D of this Act.

A violation of any of the foregoing conditions shall automatically result in
the revocation of the scholarship provided under this Act. The acceptance
of another scholarship while the scholar is a recipient of the benefits of the
LSRS Program shall also result in the revocation of the scholarship.


Section 11-D. Return Service. - The scholar shall render at least one (1)
year of return service for every scholarship year availed of: Provided, That
any fraction of scholarship year shall be deemed as one (1) whole year for
the purposes of computing the return service provided under this Section;
Provided, further, That the scholar shall have a period of three (3) years
from the time of signing the Roll of Attorneys to commence the return
service; Provided further, That the scholar shall be integrated into the
public or pro bono legal service system, through the Public Attorney's
Office and other appropriate government offices in need of lawyers, and
shall receive the appropriate civil service rank, salary and related benefits;
Provided, further, That the mandatory return service herein provided shall
be distinct and separate from the Clinical Legal Education Program as
provided under Rule 138-A of the Rules of Court; Provided, finally, That
the scholar shall serve in a government public legal office in the scholar’s
hometown or, in the absence of a need thereat, in any municipality within
the scholar’s home province, or in any underserved municipality closest to
the scholar’s hometown determined by the Board as a priority area, upon
consultation with relevant stakeholders.

A scholar who fails or refuses to comply with the mandatory return service
and integration provided under this Act shall be required to pay two times
the full cost of scholarship, including other benefits and expenses incurred
by reason of participation in the scholarship program, with full legal
interest thereon; Provided, That the abovementioned penalties shall not
apply to lawyers who fail to comply with the required return service on
account, or by reason of, severe illness , or death.

SECTION 4. Qualification Requirements. — An applicant for the LSRS
must be:

a. A graduate of a bachelor’s degree recognized as a prerequisite for a JD.
Provided, That qualified and deserving higher year levels of the JD program
shall be covered under this Act; and

b. Eligible to enroll in the SUC or PHEI by passing its entrance exam and has
complied with all the requirements for admission.

. A Filipino citizen residing in the Philippines;

. Of good moral character;

. From middle-middle to low-income household;

920

SECTION 5. Disqualification. — The scholarship grant shall be
terminated, and the scholar shall repay the full cost of scholarship in case of the
following circumstances;

a. If the scholar accepts another scholarship from other government or
private agency or organization;

b. If the scholar fails to meet the academic requirements or to complete the
course within the prescribed period set by the SUC or PHEI;

c. If the scholar is convicted of a crime or any offense involving moral
turpitude; and

d. If the scholar commits gross misconduct to the detriment of the
community and the reputation of the school.

SECTION 6. Appropriations. — An initial amount of One Hundred Million
Pesos (Php100,000,000,00) shall be appropriated as seed money for the
establishment of the Legal Scholarship and Return Service Program provided
under this Act.


Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous implementation of
the legal scholarship provided under this Act shall be included in the scholarship
program of SUCs and LEB in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Commission
on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Legal
Education Board (LEB), in consultation with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines
and reputable law schools, shall formulate the necessary Implementing Rules
and Regulations (IRR) within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act.

SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - In the event that any provision of this
Act or any part hereof if declared invalid or unconstitutional, the provisions not
hereby affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and
regulations or parts thereof, inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of
this Act are repealed, amended or modified, accordingly.

SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)

days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers
of general circulation.

Approved,