By Patricia Francia Lachica

The Supreme Court of the Philippines, in partnership with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the Philippine Association of Law Schools, the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), and Alternative Law Groups (ALG) conducted the 2022 National Legal Aid Summit on November 27 to 30 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental to “expand access to justice through collaboration.”

The 2022 Summit was named “Reimagining the Art of Legal Empowerment: National Summit on Access to Justice through Cultivating Approaches on Legal Aid,” and was said to be a platform for discussion on “expanding access to justice through collaboration among different legal aid providers and stakeholders of justice.”

“The nobility of the legal profession springs from its purpose of securing peace and order in society by upholding the rule of law. Thus, because of its role in the proper dispensation of justice, it exists for society and the public in general,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, highlighting the significance of legal aid.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen likewise stressed “making the law relevant to provide more than just the rule of law, but the rule of justice.”

Additionally, Leonen pointed one of the points from “The Concept of Access to Justice: Spectrum of Legal Assistance and a Possible Roadmap,” that “there should be common goals such as addressing corruption and analyzing analogous cases,” as he emphasized the “inclusion of the protection of whistleblowers in access to justice.”

For Supreme Court Associate Justice Alfredo Caguioa, he stated that “legal aid must be continuous and sustainable,” as he explained that the length of time it takes to settle legal issues, “legal help must be constant and unremitting.”
 
IBP National President Burt Estrada then described “all innovations and strategies the IBP has so far used to address the difficulties the IBP has faced with its legal aid program, particularly in response to and in light of the Covid-19 outbreak and its continuing repercussions.”

Estrada also emphasized “securing external partnerships to augment IBP legal aid programs for underserved sectors,” where he claimed that “the IBP has been a staunch advocate and ally of the Judiciary in promoting pro bono work from our members.”
 
However, the IBP National President said that “it is still not enough,” and expressed that “to inspire more lawyers to do pro bono work, only a sense of duty and not charity can move more lawyers to do this important role for the community.”