Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo has warned lawyers “who take advantage” of the country’s Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as he encouraged the filing of charges against the erring members of the legal profession.
“If you've seen that some of our OFWs and other workers are being exploited by these ambulance chasing lawyers, you are not estopped from filing a complaint with the Court or with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP),” Gesmundo said in his meeting with officials of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) led by Secretary Maria Susan V. Ople.
“And then we can take action. But we want to make sure the complainants are ready to provide evidence," he said.
One definition of ambulance chasing in the legal profession is “an attempt by a lawyer to get work by persuading someone who has been injured to claim money from the person or company responsible.”
In a press briefer, the Supreme Court’s public information office (SC-PIO) said that during the meeting last Monday, Nov. 7, DMW Assistant Secretary Jerome T. Pampolina “pointed out how ambulance chasing is a real and urgent problem, especially for the maritime sector.”
It said a suggestion came out “to intensify measures to instill discipline among lawyers against not just ambulance chasing, but also against other unethical acts.”
Gesmundo assured that the SC and the whole judiciary will not tolerate lawyers “who prey on our OFWs through ambulance chasing.”
He said the SC has been imposing stricter disciplinary measures by suspending or disbarring lawyers who violate the Code of Professional Responsibility (CPR).
He then highlighted to the DMW officials the ongoing revision to the proposed Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) which would make lawyers to be more accountable to all their stakeholders.
He pointed out that the SC is open to working with the DMW to reach out to OFWs and their families “in ensuring that access to justice is made available to them, especially since this is consistent with the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, the Supreme Court’s blueprint of plans and programs for the next five years.
Also, during the meeting, the DMW officials gave a brief overview of Republic Act No. 11641, or An Act Creating the Department of Migrant Workers, Defining Its Powers and Functions, Rationalizing the Organization and Functions of Government Agencies Related to Overseas Employment and Labor Migration.
The SC-PIO said that with Chief Justice Gesmundo during the meeting were Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva, Assistant Court Administrator and Chief of the Public Information Office Atty. Brian Keith F. Hosaka, and lawyers from the Office of the Chief Justice.
It said that Secretary Ople was with Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia, Undersecretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan, Undersecretary Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones, Assistant Secretary Pampolina, Assistant Secretary Jerome A. Alcantara, and Assistant Secretary Francis Ron De Guzman.
TAGS: #SC #CJ Gesmundo #DMW #Secretary Susan Ople