The Department of Justice Action Center (DOJAC) has launched three manuals and guidelines to improve further its operations nationwide.
In a statement, DOJAC said the manuals and guidelines – Data Privacy Manual, 8888 Guidelines, and Revised Procedural Manual – were released last June 29.
DOJAC was set up in 1985 “to provide assistance and speed up actions on the concerns of the people especially those from the marginalized sectors of our society.”
“DOJAC attends to and acts upon written, phone in and walk in requests for legal assistance by the ordinary Filipino especially on pending transactions with different agencies of the government,” then Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra, now solicitor general, had said.
“DOJAC has also expanded its services to provide mediation for disputants to resolve conflicts before they escalate further,” he added.
The sixth DOJAC was launched in Legaspi City last Friday, June 23. The other regional offices of DOJAC are in Region I in San Fernando City, La Union; Region III in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija; Region VII in Cebu City; Region X in Cagayan de Oro City; and Region XI in Davao City.
“The completion and publication of these major documents are a concrete manifestation of DOJAC’s commitment to provide quality legal advice, referral and mediation services, among others, to walk-in, phone call, Facebook, and e-mail clients nationwide,” DOJAC’s statement said.
It said the Data Privacy Manual “aims to bring the DOJAC a step closer to its goal of protecting the fundamental human right of privacy while ensuring the free flow of information consistent with the Data Privacy Act of 2012.”
It also said the manual is “a first of its kind in the Department, may serve as template in the conduct of PIA (Philippine Information Agency) on other offices and may form part of the Privacy Management Program of the Department that the incoming DPO (Data Protection Officer) may formulate.”
On the other hand, the DOJAC said the 8888 Guidelines “seeks to streamline the procedures for handling complaints, queries and concerns received through the 8888 Agency Portal and the DOJ hotline that may later on be established.”
The Revised Procedural Manual “sets forth the basic processes and internal protocols to be observed in the day-to-day operations of the DOJAC Main Office and Regional Centers nationwide,” it said.
The manual “contains updated forms with privacy notice/statement, latest organizational chart, updated directory of its offices, among others,” it added.