During the IBP-Pampanga induction at the Widus Hotel and Casino here on Friday, Atty. Darwin S. Reyes said he will dedicate his presidency tostrengthening the chapter’s Legal Aid Program by providing free legal services to indigent litigants who really need the services of a lawyer or those who cannot afford to hire private lawyers. He said to avail themselves of the free legal services, poor litigants can go to the IBP office at the Capitol Compound in the City of San Fernando and the IBP-Pampanga Chapter will assign lawyers to help them in their cases.
Reyes said the indigent litigants will be assessed if they qualify to the free legal services program which is “quite similar” with the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
But he said the IBP program is also different from the PAO because its standards are more sensitive by “looking into the financial capabilities of poor litigants and the merit of their cases if they are winnable.”
Reyes said under his leadership, the IBP-Pampanga will continue with community services and help probationers and indigenous peoples (IPs) like Aetas with better legal services.
He also said the chapter will go to schools and give seminars on anti-bullying, anti- violence against women and children as well as International Legal Missions in Macau, Hong Kong and Japan to cater to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have a hard time getting legal services because of the lack of lawyers in our embassies and consular offices.
The new set of officers of the IBP-Pampanga Chapter were inducted by Mayor Edgardo D. Pamintuan while Justice Secretary Leila De Lima keynoted the affair.
During her speech, De Lima inculcated the right values of dignity while practicing law and stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law.
“We welcome them to the legal profession – a very noble profession,” De Lima said to the new set of officers and members.
De Lima said as a lawyer and Secretary of Justice, she will always stand for the rule of law. “I will always continue to denounce those who advocate, promote and encourage summary killings which is a criminal act and against the law.”
The new set of IBP-Pampanga Chapter officers are Reyes, president; Atty. Gener C. Endona, vice president; Atty. Socrates A. Padua, secretary; Atty. Ponciano V. Dela Cruz Jr., treasurer; Atty. Alejandro N. Buan, auditor; Atty. Vicente A. Macalino, PRO; and Directors Attorneys Agustin L. Angeles, Jovy Ann R. Antinaja, Odgie C. Cayabyab, Roseller T. Logronio and Alberto D. Pamintuan III.
