Bacolod diocese inks MOA with lawyers for free legal services for indigents

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Free legal services to the poor will be provided for those who seek refuge with the Catholic Church here.

This, as the Young Lawyers Association of Negros Occidental (YLANO) represented by Atty. Carmela Yasay Feria, and the Diocese of Bacolod represented by Bishop Patricio Buzon signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the Bishop’s House, Social Action Center (SAC) here yesterday.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Bacolod with SAC as its established social services arm has continuously partnered with individuals or groups providing legal or para-legal assistance to the poor who are victims of injustices and have no capacity to hire private lawyers.

Based on the MOA, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Bacolod through SAC shall organize and conduct free legal clinics with YLANO within the Diocese of Bacolod, and provide a venue or location to YLANO in its conduct of free legal clinics.

It was also stated in the MOA that SAC will provide the necessary furniture, fixtures and equipment for the group’s operation, and deploy personnel to assist in the pre-registration and registration on or before the day of the free legal clinic.

Collected data and documents from those who seek the free legal clinic will be shared with YLANO, and can refer walk-in indigents to YLANO members, when necessary, for free legal advice.

As for the YLANO, they will regularly hold free clinics in partnership with the SAC, and organize its attorneys to provide free legal advice to indigent clients in the Church community.

YLANO is a group of lawyers and members in good standing of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Negros Occidental chapter, that aims to provide free legal services to the community whenever practicable.

Feria said there’s an abundance of cases that needs help, waiting for the intervention or participation of lawyers, citing cases involving domestic abuses, land and property disputes, child abuse, and violence against women and children.

Feria said she looks forward to partnering with the office of the Bishop and other non-government organizations and non-profit organizations that would reach out to them and show a willingness to partner with them to provide free legal services to those who cannot afford to get a lawyer.

This platform is not just to get exposure as new lawyers, but also to get networking and mentoring opportunities, she added.

For his part, Buzon said that many of the challenges are precisely in this field, as it is technical and needs competence.

With the said development, Buzon said he is very happy as the poor ones can be provided with legal assistance.