Dar Manual On Legal Assistance
Dar Manual On Legal Assistance
Dar Manual On Legal Assistance
ARTICLET.
PURPOSE
Sectiu l- Purpoca - This manral is issrcd far tln purpose of setti4g forth,
drfining and conrolidatiry the pertinera provisiom of law, policies ad rules to be
obscrved by DAR lawyei::s and legal oftws in rcdering free lesal tssisrance to tenant
farmer$" agricuttural lessotr ard other qualificd agrarian reform beneficiarieg including
mernbers of thsir immediats farm nurehokt .rd o&€r $ak€hold$s of rbe progam-
ARTICT,EII
CLIENTELE
amende4 the Dcpertment of Agrerien Rcform lhru tte l,egsl Atrrirs Offtce {LAO) is
rnardstsd to rcnder e'* l€l assistancq p*rtinrluty represeatation of indigeff farmer-
Mciaries includirqg the imacdiEte membar of t}cir frmilies, and dher qualified
bernfieiaries under Smtion ?2 of R-A No- 665?, in all agradan.rdated casss medionod
in the preceding SeccioU wh€tre, after due e.raluarior/investigatiotL it is determined that
tlu interest afjusice will b€ duly scrved.
Secrion 3. l\{exit e'f ttc cm. - A cam sbsll be consiM meritoriurs if s$er
propr evatustioa of tte fachral ard lept basis, it appemrthat tk applicant is quslified
srd th€re is a reasornble ground to srlstain r cse in Sre proper forum. Accordirgly, the
DAR lawyer or lqgrl offrcer assigned sh&ll e$ig andls rspresent the psrry
concenred. On the sntr$y, the DAR lawyer or lqal offics sm$ submit his report why
such csse should not be putnted. th rqon nusr be stbmittd to his immodiate
*rpenisor who SaIl srbmit his recorornendation 0o the BALA Direor fur final
dstermination whetlrer thc request for lryl nrsistan€ is proper or trsl. ln the
ARrICLE III
JUDICIAIT QUASI'JI]I}ICIAL AND AGRARIAN LAW
IMPLEMENTATION {ALD CASES
4. RegularFarmworkcrs;
5, Seasonal Farmworkss;
Tn casas \rherein tlre ahove sk af priority is ret in isnle the first- csmFfir$t-
serve nrle in aeccrdanw with tle prccediry Sectim heraf shall apply
The Department of Agrarian Reform rserv€s the right to withdraw the legal
representation if Sound later rhat the Ofiice has ao jurisdic*ion or the clieilt conceled
material ftcts drrirqg tlre scrcening prooess prrsuant to Sec*ims 2, 4(a) and 5 hereof
thnt aftcfs his qualificatiom for lqgl repreced$ion Howwer, said client may be
the veracit-v of tte $atemeirts of th party ts} a field vcrification over the prop€rty
4
involved must be corducted to sfifirn the hforrnation glven by the client. Therea*er,
shall ccmmencr tht preparuion of an approprria*e initi*tory pleading duly signed by him
and countersigned by the Division Chief
as the ca.s€ nray be, may assign any avaihble cuinsel to sign the pieading/s.
a.
Diliman, QuezonCity
By:
OSCARR. SANTOS
Trial Anonreytr
Litigation Division
Tel. No, 928-70-31 loc.2A'l
Email Add: qscar sarto@yahoo.com
BI'*EAU OF ACRARITN IIEISAL ASSISTANCD
Deprrtnnrt of Agrarian Rebrm
Rcgionel Offioe No. Itr
FedmarBuilding, San Fernando City, Panpanga
By:
Ary=NOEt.C.ADISBI
Trial Atorney V
Legal Division
Tel. No. 928-7S.31 loc. 20?
By
repr€$€r*ed by a private counsel, ttre Office is not bourd to pnovide legal assistance to
tie services of the
avoid conflict of rcpreserrtation. The r€q$sfirlg psrty nay avail of
Office only upon withdrenal ofapperane in nniting of,bisprivdeoun*|.
Section 10. Withdnwrl of Ccu*scl - A DAR oou$el rnay witHraw his
appcar-a$c€ upon approvd of thc Division Chicf unrlsr thc fo[owing justifiable insteaces:
b) lVhes the clieat su@uet*ty engags *de ryte tounwl ar is provided with
a * a,fcio counsel bythe courtwhere tht case is pe*dinS,
d) In ALI case$ whtrs the decision of the DAR Secretary which is adverse to
the client is a$rmd by the Ofiice of tha kside**, tbe DAR counsel shall
withdraw his ap,pmrance &om r*presemfug the client arrd reftr him to othor
govemmffit ageneim or lryal aid organizations for furiha legal assistance;
(Decision of the Offrce of the Fr€$ideff is the final arbiter on ali
administretiroe cases within the eorwrtive br*nch of government vihich is
bindiag upon all other gorrernmerr agerrcies,)
e) Ia cases whue trryo (2) opposing parties are both represented by thr Ofiice,
and naither of the couffsls volurfrarily wirhdrews his representation, the
BA"LA Director shall d€cid€ prsrant ro the Order cf Priority under Soctian
5.b of this guideline, who among the counsels should retain repremntation.
Should any of the two opposing s$unsels intends to votnrrarily withdraw his
representatiorl he should seek prior ryprovrl of the BALA Director beforr
filing notice of withdrawaL and
However, in the went thrt thse is no DAR cannsel evailable within the province,
the Regional legat Chief sbalt appoint o sr$stitrrte counwl from. arnong the other
provinces within the rcgion taking into corsidsation thc proximiry ald csnvsni$ce of
the counsel to b€ appointsd- In the abrene of substitute munsel within the regioq the
cas€ may b€ forwtrded to BALA Central Offioe for hrdling ofthe sau*.
incumbent upon the Legal Division in the field to coordinate closely with the former in
ordel'to insure the availability of the cliert to Se office for some urgent rnatters.
under$ood that the DAR co+nuel must comply with rh€ requirements that noay be
prescribed by the courts r quasi-judicial bodies before zuch privilege cen be granted.
ARTICLE TV
NON.JT}DICIAL SSRV ICNS
Section 15. Rcquest for Legel Comsdi*g rnd lafornatfrm. Requests for legat
counseling and inforroation in person ortlnough plrone calls should tx addressed and
a*ed upon immediately by &e office concerned. Ho*.ev€f,, if thp issre or conccrn is
complic*td the requtsting Frty must be reqrdred to F$ it in unitittg.
All requmis in writing must be actd r4on within fifteen (I5) days pu$uant to
RA. No.6713.
must first bc erraluatcd by the office coruernd to detsnrine whsther or not the issue
presented is agrarian related. Otlrerwise, advise the psrty to bring the nratter to the
proper forum.
compromisc agreemsnt for the signature of the pertiee. Otfuerwise,, apprise the parties of
rheir options available under tlre law- Ths lawysflqal offieer should r€pott ths renrlt of
medietion/conciliation to his Division Chief who sholl drtermine whsiher one of the
parties may be represented by tte Oftce- The former cand act ud rcpresent dther
party ts the case.
Section 17. R*qucst for lxgel Opinim. Legal opinion may be rendered on
issues involving policy determinatiqr! in which cas€, a written requ€st shall be address€d
before the Office of tlre Swetary/Office of the Undersecre*ary fur Legal Atrairs.
Rquest for legal opinion sn Eny othcr ffrbiect tr ftstttr$ rnay be covered by the
provisions of M.C. No lQ Series of 19E7 (Gddrtine* on the Rendition of Ltgel
Opinione).
Section 18. Dmunrettntion. - Rsquo$tts forthepqpamtion of affidavits, notices
and otlrs documents mug be attended ta inmrediatdv.
Thu$, DAR lawyers/legal officers may corduct the followisg outreash ac*ivitieq smong
others:
ANTICLEV
RECOBI}ING, ASSIGIqMSNT OF
CASESAND REPIORTING
followsr
disposed or tef,minsted;
10
1 All Irterview She* and ottrer doqrrrreots shall be handed to the Records
Officer for rewding wL6 shall zubmit llre same to thc Division Chief
concerned for proper assisnme$.
disposition.
4. All requests fur legal ts*istancc should ba assigned a control nunrber by the
Section 21. Client Index Crrds- - Esch mse folder rhould have a Client tndex
Card (CIC). The CIC shall contain the following infurrnatisr: Client Namg Control
and/or Docket Number, ese Titt{s} Naturs of th Case" Handling [,qal Officer. Date
Received by tlre OfiFcer, Dde Filed in Court/DARAB and St*w. The CIC is lo be kept
trt is the responsibility of the records officer to regularly up&te the CICs and to
see ta it that they arc meintained alphabetically.
tutesnty of office fileq no case fol&rlp*psddscrrments may be removed from the file
withqul being brought to tk attention of the records ofliccr with the approval of the
division chief concerrcd
Section 23. As*igrncnt of Case* All casss duty scree.ned and quali{ied for
lqgal a$sistance shall be submitted on time for consolidaion by the BALA Central Offtce.
Reports in conpliarre with tha l.gal Case Moniloring ard Repo*ing System
(ItL,fr,S) ard database reqair+fiefit of ttn Depertmem shgll likerpise be submifted on
time with the Lsgal Afhirs Office (LAofidanagement Informarion System (lvflS).
ll
ARTICLE W
SANCTIONS
1. Ilandle cases of persons who are rtot Erdifid for legal services or tftose who
are rot entitled to services specifically m€ritioned in Sections 2, 4 and 5 of
this guideline;
ARTICLE YII
RULE OF CONDUCT
are entertained and only ileserving p€rsfis sre exterded &oe legal assisfance.
ARIICLE YItr
FINALPROVISIONS
Section 2?. Repealing Clausa - All issuaaceq eirculars and memoranda or aqy
portisn thereof ineonsistent herewith erc htreby repealed or modified accordingly.
Section 28. Eff*tivity. - This cirmlar shsll tike eftct immediately upon
approval by the Secrctary.
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NASSER C. PANGAilDAMAN
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