Umabot na sa 321 kliyente ang nabigyan ng legal assistance nitong 2023 sa pagtutulungan ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at ng Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
Ayon kay DSWD Asst. Secretary for Strategic Communications Romel Lopez, naserbisyuhan ng PAO lawyers na naka-assign sa DSWD ang may 178 walk-in clients, 124 clients na humingi ng assistance sa pamamagitan ng email/letters; at 19 clients naman via calls.
“We are very fortunate that the DSWD’s partnership with PAO was strengthened in 2022 through a supplemental Memorandum of Agreement to facilitate free legal services to single parents and their children. Thus, we were able to provide a total of 477 services to our clients in crisis,” sabi ni Asst. Secretary Lopez.
Dagdag pa nito, kabilang sa mga serbisyong legal na ibinibigay ng PAO lawyers ay ang free legal counseling, referrals o endorsements sa iba pang PAO districts/offices, legal documentation o administration of oath, at mediation conferences.
Matatandaan na taong 2013 nang pumasok sa isang Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) ang DSWD at PAO kasama na ang Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) upang magbigay ng libreng legal assistance sa mga biktima ng violence against women and children, children in conflict with the law, at adoption cases.
“In an effort to ensure the welfare of solo parents, the DSWD forged a new commitment with PAO on September 19, 2023 to expand the existing MOA on the provision of legal assistance to its qualified clients,” sabi pa ng opisyal.
Lumagda din ang DSWD at PAO sa isa namang supplemental MOA upang mapatupad ang pagbibigay ng free legal services sa mga single parents at mga anak nito na nangangailangan ng financial support matapos na dumagsa ang mga nanghihingi ng free legal assistance para sa financial at child support.
Ang PAO office sa DSWD ay bukas tuwing Martes at Miyerkules mula 8 am hanggang 5 pm. Ang mga interesado naman ay maaari ding tumawag sa DSWD-PAO sa numerong 8-951-2238. | ulat ni Merry Ann Bastasa
