SIXTEENTH CONGRESS y\
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriquez, Jr.

3695

House Bill No.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Legal aid is not a matter of charity. It is a means for the correction of social
imbalances that may often lead to injustice, for which reason, it is a public responsibility of
the Bar. The spirit of public service should therefore underlie all legal aid offices. The same
should be so administered as to give maximum possible assistance to indigent and
deserving members of the community in all matters and situations in which legal ald may be
necessary to forestall injustice,

in order to attain the objectives of legal aid, legal aid office should be as close as
possible to those who are in need thereof — the masses. Hence, every chapter of the
integrated Bar of The Philippines (IBP) must establish and operate an adequate legal aid
office. The clients of IBP Legal Aid are qualified under the same indigency and merits tests
used by the Public Attorneys’ Office (PAO), and would have qualified for PAO assistance,
but for reasons other than indigency, are disqualified from availing of the services of the
PAO, like the existence of conflict of interests or conflicting defenses and other similar
causes, However, unlike PAO clients, the clients of IBP Legal aid are not exempt from
payment of docket fees and other fees incidental to instituting an action in court.

This bill seeks to exempt IBP Legal Aid clients from payment of docket fees and
other fees incidental to instituting an action in courts and other agencies considering that
they are also indigent.

In view thereof, immediate approval of this Bill is sought

y

RUFYS B. ROPRIGUEZ

MAXIMO B. RODRIGUEZ, JR.


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriquez, Jr.

House Bill No, 8695

AN ACT
MAKING IBP LEGAL AID CLIENTS EXEMPT FROM PAYMENT OF DOCKET FEES AND
OTHER FEES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled.

Section 1. Declaration of Policy. — It is the declared policy of the State to give
maximum possible assistance to indigent and deserving members of the community in all
matters and situations in which legal aid may be necessary to forestall injustice.

Section 2. IBP Legal Aid Clients Exempt from Payment of Docket and Other
Fees. - Ail clients of Integrated Bar of the Philippines Legal Aid Offices shall be exempt from
payment of docket, fing and other fees in cases before the courts, quasi-judicial agencies,
prosecutor's offices and mediation centers.

Section 3. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The Integrated Bar of the
Philippines shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective enforcement of the
provisions of this Act

Section 4, Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act or any part
thereof be declared invalid, the other provisions, so far as they are separable from the invalid
‘ones, shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 5, Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, issuances, rules and regulations or
parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 6, Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,