Public, private lawyers give legal assistance to Bilibid's PDLs
More than 40 lawyers from the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) and the Legal Aid Society of the Philippines provided free legal service to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City on Friday, July 12.
In a statement, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said the lawyers assisted the PDLs in the preparation of petitions for parole, accreditation of their good conduct time allowance (GCTA) credits, and other legal needs.
GCTA credits shorten the period of confinement of a PDL.
The DOJ said the free legal assistance was provided to PDLs at the NBP during the “Katarungan (Justice) Caravan” that was spearheaded by the department's Action Center (DOJAC).
“The only way our PDLs can access justice is through this legal aid. We need to understand and address the legal needs of our PDLs,” said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla.
“This is a fundamental right that has to be given to the disadvantaged and underprivileged members of our society,” Remulla said.
It was not known immediately as of posting how many Bilibid PDLs availed themselves of the free legal assistance.