HUMANITARIAN LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION

2007 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT

 

For 2007, the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation continued to work towards the realization of its Vision through its three major programs namely, Legal Assistance Program, Empowerment Program and Advocacy Program.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LAP)

 Through its Legal Assistance Program, HLAF was able to provide direct legal services to clients all over Metro Manila.  HLAF provided the following legal services:

• Providing Legal Advice to Clients;
• Preparing legal documents and Motions for the clients to be signed by the Public Attorney;
• Following up the client’s case wherever they may be pending; and
• Legal Representation in Courts;

 For this year, HLAF in partnership with the Commission on Human Rights and the Juvenile Justice Network, visited Police Stations in Metro Manila to monitor if Minors were still detained in their lock-up facilities.  If there are minors within the Police Lock-Ups, HLAF helped in releasing or transferring the minors.

 The beneficiaries of the Legal Assistance Program for this year are:

• Children in Conflict with the Law detained at the Center for Restorative Activities, Development and Learning Experiences (CRADLE) in Bicutan;
• Inmates of Quezon City Jail and Taguig Municipal Jail; and
• The detained Children in Conflict with the law in the police lock-ups in Quezon City, Caloocan City, Malabon City, Navotas City and Valenzuela City.

 For the year 2007, the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation through its Legal Assistance Program facilitated the release of 85 detention prisoners from all over the National Capital Region. 

 

 

 EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM

 Education and popularization of our laws is central to HLAF’S Decongestion Program.  HLAF believes that by empowering the people and the Enforcement Officers, illegal arrests and arbitrary detentions will be prevented eventually decongesting the jails by removing those illegally detained persons.

 HLAF popularized the following laws:

• Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Rights of the Accused
• Government Structures
• Modes of Release
• Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act
• Violence Against Women and their Children Act
• Child Abuse Law
• Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002

 

HLAF also talked about the Jail Conditions, Legal Issues and Legal Challenges inside the Jails and Jail Decongestion.

 The beneficiaries of HLAF’s EMPOWERMENT Program were

• Inmates of Quezon City Jail and Mandaluyong City Jail
• Clinical Legal Education Students of Ateneo Law School
• Barangay Officials and Residents of CHILDHOPE ASIA’s partner communities in Manila and Pasay city
• Barangay Officials of Makati City; and
• Various communities and Organizations who seek HLAF’s technical expertise.

 For 2007, HLAF conducted 37 different trainings.

 

Title of Trainings	No. of training conducted
Training for BCPC in Malabon City	6
Orientation of Volunteer Interns of Ateneo Law School	5
Lecture for CLED Students in Ateneo Clinical Law Education	1
Lecture for BCPC Makati City	1
Lecture on Jail Decongestion for OLPS (Sorsogon) Seminarians	1
Lecture for BCPC PASAY and MANILA	5
Paralegal Trainings in Quezon City Jail	17
Paralegal Training in MAndaluyong City Jail	1
Total trainings	37

 

ADVOCACY WORK

 HLAF as a developmental legal organization sought to promote policies and laws which will promote justice.

 HLAF’s advocacy work included

• The Promotion of Detainee’s Rights and Inmate’s Welfare; and
• The proper implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act by the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council, the Philippine National Police and the Local Government Units.

 For 2007, the following were HLAF’s advocacy activities:

• Juvenile Justice Network- Last October 5, HLAF appointed as the lead convenor of the Juvenile Justice Network. HLAF conducted meeting with NGOs in Metro Manila and Region 4-A and agreed to form this group of NGOs as a NCR-Cluster of the Juvenile Justice Network.
• Continued Membership of PAYO Network (Philippine Action for Youth Offenders)
• Attended the Quarterly Consultation Dialogue with City/Municipal Social Welfare Development Officers (September)
• Attended the Anniversary of the Abolition of Death Penalty Coalition
• Attended the DSWD-NCR Quarterly Meeting with NCR Social Workers
• Attended the Philippine National police Consultation meeting on the Conceptualizing the Juvenile Justice Welfare Act guidelines.
• Attended the National Correctional Consciousness Month  held by CRADLE and National Bilibid Penitentiary.

 

 

ROMMEL ALIM ABITRIA

Officer-in-Charge/Program Officer