A panel at the House of Representatives has approved a bill expanding the coverage of the legal assistance fund for overseas Filipinos.
The bill states that the hiring of foreign legal counsels and other related fund releases using the (Legal Assistance Fund) or LAF, a fund under the jurisdiction of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), will be exempt from the coverage of the Government Procurement Act when circumstances warrant urgent action.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said that they have already used 50% of their P200 Million LAF as of this year.
“We have spent P100.5 million so far. At this rate, mauubos ito before December. That’s when the DMW comes in, and they are going to spend their Aksyon fund for Legal Assistance starting July 1,” he said.
“We want the same rules [on exemption from Procurement law for legal assistance expenses because we want to provide assistance as soon as possible,” De Vega added.
The Migrant Workers Department also supported the measure for the Aksyon Fund.
“We stand ready to carry out our responsibilities instituted in the Aksyon fund,” DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac said.
“We are coordinating the transition of LAF to Aksyon Fund and want to spend more of this fund to pay for legal services and legal retainers come July 1st,” he added.
