Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _________ 
Introduced by Representative Paolo Henry M. Marcoleta 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution itself requires legal assistance to be made 
accessible to all Filipinos, no matter their stature in life. This is in fact inscribed 
in the Bill of Rights, specifically Article III, Section 11 which states: “Free 
access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance shall 
not be denied to any person by reason of poverty.” 
However, despite this enshrined principle, justice remains an elusive 
dream to many impoverished and marginalized Filipinos. This is in part due to 
the limited number of lawyers and legal services available to poor litigants. 
This imbalance in accessibility is clearly shown in the workload handled 
by the Public Assistance Office (PAO). In 2024 alone, PAO’s workforce of 
2,676 lawyers assisted more than 15 million clients and handled more than 
847,000 cases.1 This means that in a single year alone, each PAO lawyer on 
average assisted more than 5,600 clients and handled 317 cases.2 This heavy 
workload, among other factors, has led to a high turn-over rate of public 
attorneys which in turn affects the effective legal representation of indigent 
Filipinos. 
This bill aims to address this issue by institutionalizing a legal scholarship 
and return service program that would provide legal education scholarships to 
qualified students in exchange for a two-year return service in PAO or in other 
agencies that provide legal services to poor and unserved Filipinos. This 
proposed measure will not only assist students in achieving their dream of 
1 Public Attorney’s Office, Accomplishment Report of the Public Attorney’s Office for the Year 2024, 7, 
Available at https://pao.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Accomplishment-Report-2024.pdf (last accessed on 
July 05, 2025). 
2 Ibid. 
August 5, 2025
11:54 am
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becoming lawyers for the country, but will also help bridge the divide in our 
country’s legal system in terms of accessibility and representation – proving that 
justice is not just an empty dream reserved for those with resources, but is an 
attainable reality available to all Filipinos. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this measure is 
earnestly sought.  
PAOLO HENRY M. MARCOLETA 
Representative, SAGIP Party-List


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _________ 
Introduced by Representative Paolo Henry M. Marcoleta 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP AND RETURN SERVICE 
PROGRAM FOR QUALIFIED AND DESERVING STUDENTS, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
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 
1 
Bayan Act”. 
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. –  The State shall ensure that no person shall 
4 
be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any 
5 
person be denied the equal protection of the laws. The State shall also provide 
6 
free and adequate legal assistance to all citizens regardless of economic standing. 
7 
The State shall hereby establish a program to encourage more lawyers to serve 
8 
the people, and to guarantee that there shall be, at all times, a sufficient number 
9 
of lawyers to provide free and adequate legal services to indigent and 
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underprivileged Filipinos in need of legal assistance. 
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Sec. 3. Establishment of the Legal Scholarship and Return Service 
13 
Program. – A Legal Scholarship and Return Service (LSRS) Program shall be 
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established in state colleges and universities (SUCs) or in partner private higher 
15 
educational institutions (PHEIs) offering bachelor of laws or a Juris Doctor 
16 
degree, for qualified and deserving students: Provided, That priority in the 
17 
selection of recipients for the LSRS Program shall be given to: 
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a. Members of the indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples 
1 
(ICCs/IPs); or  
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b. Those identified as poor or near poor based on the listahanan of the 
3 
Department of Social Welfare and Development, or those whose 
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income fall below the poverty threshold as defined by the Department 
5 
of Economy, Planning, and Development, or those who cannot afford 
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to provide in a sustained manner their minimum basic needs of food, 
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health, education, housing, and other essential amenities of life. 
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Sec. 4. Coverage. –  The LSRS Program established under this Act shall 
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provide the following benefits to qualified students: 
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a. Full tuition and other school fees, including but not limited to: student 
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registration fees, library fees, and publication fees;  
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b. Allowance for prescribed books and supplies; 
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c. Allowance for transportation expenses and monthly living allowance; 
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d. Allowance for review fees for government-mandated bar exams; and 
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e. Allowance for licensure fees. 
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Sec. 5. Qualifications and Requirements. – In order to qualify for the grant 
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of scholarship under the LSRS Program, a prospective or current legal education 
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student must satisfy the following requirements:  
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a. Must be a Filipino citizen residing in the Philippines; 
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b. Must not have completed a bachelor of laws or Juris Doctor degree 
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from any higher educational institution (HEI) offering legal education; 
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c. Must be a graduating student or a graduate of an undergraduate degree 
25 
program;  
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d. Must be of good moral character; and 
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e. Must have passed the entrance examination and complied with other 
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requirements for admission into the Juris Doctor or bachelor of laws 
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degree program offered by the SUC or (PHEI) where the student 
30 
intends to enroll. 
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Sec. 6. Conditions for the Grant of Legal Scholarship. – Qualified students 
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accepted into the LSRS Program shall be subject to the following conditions:  
1 
a. Must sign an agreement stating the terms and conditions of the 
2 
scholarship which shall be prescribed by the Legal Education Board 
3 
(LEB);  
4 
b. Must carry the full load of subjects prescribed per semester by the SUC 
5 
or PHEI concerned, and shall not, under any circumstance, drop a 
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course which would result in underloading;  
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c. Must finish the Juris Doctor or bachelor of laws degree program within 
8 
the prescribed time frame of the SUC or PHEI where the scholar is 
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enrolled in, subject to the retention policies of the SUC or PHEI 
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concerned: Provided, that a scholar who is already enrolled, may be 
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allowed, for valid and justifiable reasons, to file a leave of absence;  
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d. Must take the bar examination within a maximum period of one (1) year 
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after completion of the Juris Doctor or bachelor of laws degree; and  
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e. Must render return service as provided under Section 8 of this Act. 
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Sec. 7. 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 
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benefits received, including all expenses incurred during the participation in the 
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LSRS program, in case of the following circumstances: 
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a. If the scholar fails to meet the academic requirements or to complete 
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the course within the prescribed period without valid cause as may be 
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determined by the SUC or PHEI concerned; or 
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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 SUC or PHEI concerned or to the community 
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as a whole. 
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Sec. 8. Mandatory Return Service. – Within five (5) years from admission 
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to the practice of law, a scholar shall render mandatory return service for two (2) 
29 
years in the Public Attorney's Office (PAO), or in other government agencies and 
30 
instrumentalities that provide legal services to poor and marginalized individuals, 
31 
among others: Provided , That the mandatory return service shall be separate and 
32 
distinct from the Clinical Legal Education Program as provided under Rule 138-
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A of the Rules of Court, as amended: Provided , further, That the beneficiaries of 
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LSRS Program appointed to plantilla positions shall receive the appropriate 
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salaries, benefits and other emoluments for services rendered under the 
1 
mandatory return service; Provided , furthermore, That beneficiaries of LSRS 
2 
Program who, after three (3) years from admission to the practice of law, fails to 
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secure appointment in government shall have the option to: (i) pay the full cost 
4 
of scholarship and related benefits received, including all the expenses incurred 
5 
during the participation in the LSRS Program, or (ii) undertake alternative 
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compliance program to be formulated by the LEB pursuant to the provisions of 
7 
this Act and Republic Act No. 9999, otherwise known as the Free Legal 
8 
Assistance Act of 2010: Provided , finally, That in the application of Republic 
9 
Act No. 9999, the allowable deduction from the gross income shall be the amount 
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that could have been collected from the actual free legal services rendered or up 
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to ten percent (10%) of the gross income derived from the actual performance of 
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the legal profession, whichever is lower. 
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Sec. 9. Number and Allocation of Students to be Admitted in the Program. 
15 
– Prior to the implementation of this Act and every five (5) years thereafter, the 
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LEB shall, in consultation with the Philippine Association of Law Schools and 
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participating HEIs and upon the assessment of the shortage of legal practitioners 
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in the public sector, determine the appropriate number and geographic allocation 
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of scholars to be admitted in the LSRS Program. 
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Sec. 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 
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as provided under this Act shall be required to pay twice the amount of 
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scholarship, including other benefits received by reason of participation in the 
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LSRS Program: Provided , That the penalty imposed herein shall not apply to 
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lawyers who fail to comply with the required return service by reason of force 
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majeure or not due to their fault or negligence. 
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Sec. 11. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the implementation 
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of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
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Sec. 12. Annual Report. – Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this 
33 
Act, and every year thereafter, LEB shall submit an annual report on the 
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implementation of this Act to the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
35 
Philippines. 
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Sec. 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days 
1 
from the effectivity of this Act, the LEB shall, in consultation with the Philippine 
2 
Association of Law Schools, Philippine Association of State Universities and 
3 
Colleges, the Commission on Higher Education, and other relevant government 
4 
agencies and stakeholders, promulgate the rules and regulations to effectively 
5 
implement the provisions of this Act. 
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Sec. 14. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is 
8 
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder thereof not otherwise affected 
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shall remain in full force and effect. 
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Sec. 15. Repealing Clause. – All laws, presidential decrees, executive 
12 
orders, letters of instructions, proclamations or administrative regulations that are 
13 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or 
14 
modified accordingly. 
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Sec. 16. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
17 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved,  
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