Villanueva pushes for scholarships for aspiring lawyers

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva is pushing for a bill which seeks to provide scholarships for aspiring lawyers.

Senate Bill No. 1639 proposes to amend Republic Act No. 7662, or the "Legal Education Reform Act of 1993," by including provisions for the establishment of a "Legal Scholarship and Return Service Program (LSRS)".

"There is definitely a need for more public defenders in the country as we only have 2,500 Public Attorneys Office (PAO) lawyers and each lawyer handles 5,300 cases per year," the Majority Leader said during his acceptance speech at the awarding of his Doctor of Laws degree, Honoris Causa at the Bulacan State University last January 12.

As of 2016, the lawyer to population ratio in the Philippines is higher at 1 lawyer serving 2,500 Filipinos compared to other jurisdictions like the United States of America with 1 lawyer serving 248 residents, Italy with 1 lawyer serving 260 residents and Germany with 1 lawyer serving 560 residents.

Villanueva said that the program will be similar to the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act established under Republic Act No. 11509, which he principally authored and sponsored last Congress.

"We took inspiration in crafting this measure from our Doktor para sa Bayan Act which provides scholarships to deserving students in state universities and colleges and partner private higher education institutions," he added.

Under the proposed measure, the LSRS will include the following:

a. Free Tuition and other school fees

b. Allowance for prescribed books

c. Clothing or uniform allowance

d. Allowance for dormitory or boarding house accommodation

e. Transportation allowance

f. Bar review fees, including Bar examination application fees;

g. Annual medical insurance; and

h. Other education-related miscellaneous subsistence or living allowances.

The bill also provides that scholars shall render at least one (1) year of return service for every scholarship year availed of through the PAO or other government offices in need of lawyers and will be granted the appropriate civil service rank, salary and benefits.

Villanueva hopes that through this program more students will be encouraged to pursue law and will uphold the values of truth, fairness and resilience in their work as public defenders.

"For more than two decades, my ideals of public service remain the same. I would like to impart to you these values which were taught to me by my mother and that I hold dear since I joined public service in 2002," Villanueva said.

The Majority Leader is the first recipient of the Doctor of Laws degree, Honoris Causa from the university.

Scholarship para sa mga nais maging abogado isinusulong ni Villanueva

Isinusulong ni Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva ang panukalang batas na naglalayong magbigay ng scholarship para sa mga naghahangad na mag-aral ng abogasya.

Layunin ng Senate Bill No. 1639 na amyendahan ang Republic Act No. 7662, o ang "Legal Education Reform Act of 1993," upang itatag ang "Legal Scholarship and Return Service Program (LSRS)".

"Lubos na kailangan ng mas maraming public defenders sa ating bansa dahil mayroon lamang tayong 2,500 na abogado ang Public Attorneys Office (PAO) at bawat isa sa kanila ay humahawak ng 5,300 kaso bawat taon," pahayag ng Majority Leader sa kanyang talumpati matapos siyang gawaran ng Bulacan State University ng Doctor of Laws degree, Honoris Causa, noong Enero 12.

Ayon sa isang pag-aaral noong 2016, mayroon lamang isang abogado kada 2,500 Pilipino. Higit na mataas ito kumpara sa Estados Unidos na may 1 abogado sa kada 248 residente, sa Italy na may 1 abogado sa kada 260 residente at Germany na may 1 abogado sa kada 560 residente.

Sinabi pa ni Villanueva na ang programa ay magiging katulad ng Doktor Para sa Bayan Act na itinatag sa ilalim ng Republic Act No. 11509, na siyang naging principal author at sponsor noong nakaraang Kongreso.

"Binalangkas natin ang panukalang batas na ito dahil sa inspirasyong binigay sa atin ng 'Doktor para sa Bayan Act' na nagbibigay ng mga scholarship sa mga karapat-dapat na mag-aaral sa mga State Universities at Colleges at sa mga partner private education institutions," dagdag niya.

Sa ilalim ng panukala ni Villanueva, isasama sa LSRS ang sumusunod:

a. Free Tuition and other school fees

b. Allowance for prescribed books

c. Clothing or uniform allowance

d. Allowance for dormitory or boarding house accommodation

e. Transportation allowance

f. Bar review fees, including Bar examination application fees

g. Annual medical insurance

h. Other education-related miscellaneous subsistence or living allowances.

Nakasaad din sa panukalang batas na dapat magbigay ng "return service" o isang taong serbisyo sa kada taong nakinabang sa libreng pag-aaral ng abogasya ang scholar sa pamamagitan ng pro bono legal services ng PAO o sa iba pang ahensya ng gobyerno na nangangailangan ng mga abogado. Bibigyan sila ng naaangkop na civil service rank, suweldo at mga benepisyo.

Umaasa si Villanueva na sa pamamagitan ng programang ito ay mas marami pang mabibigyan ng oportunidad na mag-aaral ng abogasya at makahubog ng mga public defender na magtataguyod sa mga pagpapahalaga ng katotohanan, katarungan at katatagan.

"Sa loob po ng mahigit dalawang dekada, hindi nagbabago ang mga pagpapahalaga ko bilang isang lingkod-bayan. Nais po nitong maibahagi ang mga pagpapahalagang ito na itinuro sa akin ng aking ina at pinanghahawakan ko mula pa noong 2002 nang pasukin ko ang larangan ng serbisyo publiko," ani Villanueva.

Si Villanueva ang kauna-unahang indibidwal na tumanggap ng Doctor of Laws degree, Honoris Causa mula sa unibersidad.