PBBM signs law providing free legal assistance to military, uniformed men

President Marcos has signed a law that provides free legal assistance to military and uniformed personnel facing any charge from incidents related to their performance of duty.

Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12177 also known as Free Legal Assistance for Military and Uniformed Personnel Act on April 15.

Under the law, the State shall provide free legal assistance to military and uniformed personnel in criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings arising from service-related incidents.

Free legal assistance shall include legal representation; legal consultations; preparations of pleadings, motions, memoranda, and all other forms and documents; court fees and other related fees; and notarization of documents.

Military and uniformed personnel (MUP) who are covered by the law are officers enlisted and uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Hydrography Branch of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).

Officers facing any service-related case before a prosecutor’s office, court, quasi-judicial or administrative body, or any competent body or tribunal shall be entitled to free legal assistance.

Retired and honorably discharged and separated MUP shall be eligible for free legal assistance on service-related cases committed while still in active duty, the law stated.

The law shall also apply to all MUP who have pending service-related cases.

The law ordered the strengthening of the legal offices of the police and military. They are directed to submit to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) the revised organizational structure and staffing patterns based on the ideal ratio of legal officers with the total number of personnel.

In revising their organization structure, the agencies involved must also take into consideration the demands of the service, historical number of cases handled, current case load, and logistical requirements necessary for their respective legal offices to render adequate and effective free legal assistance to qualified personnel.

The new law also ordered that the government lawyer providing legal assistance shall be entitled to payment of actual travel and other expenses, including Special Counsel Allowance for each appearance before the prosecutor’s office, court, quasi-judicial, and administrative agency, or any competent body or tribunal, subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations.

Within 90 days from the effectivity of RA 12177, the government agencies shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for its implementation.

The law shall take effect 15 days after its publication.