RIZAL 4th District Rep. Fidel Nograles backed a measure seeking to provide scholarship for aspiring lawyers in state universities and colleges.

However, they will have to render service in the government after they pass the Bar examinations.

Nograles, a legal aid advocate, said the measure will greatly help the poor in gaining access to free legal services.

“A legal scholarship law would help in addressing our issues on legal access especially for the poor. This is a bill with noble intentions, and I support this wholeheartedly,” he said.

He cited House Bill 7433 filed by Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Edvic Yap that seeks to provide free legal education to eligible students who will render a mandatory two-year return of service in the Public Attorney’s Office or any government agency lacking lawyers after passing the Bar exams.

Nograles stressed that data from the Foundation for Economic Freedom showed that there is only one lawyer for every 2,500 Filipinos.

“Currently, the PAO does not have enough lawyers, kaya’t gaano man nila gustuhin because of the lack of numbers, ay hindi nila matugunan nang husto ang pangangailangan ng mga kababayan natin,” he said.

“This measure would be a great boost towards this end as the PAO would have a steady stream of lawyers coming in every year,” he added.

The lawmaker added that his measure seeking to establish legal aid programs in schools would be a good complement to HB 7433.

HB 6325 or the Legal Aid Program bill mandates the establishment of legal aid programs in private and public law schools in the country to augment the services rendered by the PAO and other public offices that offer free legal assistance.

“A mandatory legal aid program in schools would mesh well with the ROS program. Perhaps we could find a way to harmonize these two measures so that our legal scholars would have the proper training habang nag-aaral pa lang sila,” Nograles said.