House doubles legal assistance fund for OFWs

The House Committee on Appropriations has increased to 200 million the legal assistance fund for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in trouble with the law in their places of work, belying the claim of a militant lawmaker.

Northern Samar Rep. Emil Ong, committee vice chairman, said the House panel agreed Monday night to double the 100-million allocation proposed by government, saying the increased amount would afford OFW in distress with better legal defense.

Appropriations panel chairman and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab said the 100-million initial allocation is in compliance with the Legal Assistance Fund law that seeks to protect the interest of OFWs.

The statements of the two solons belied claims by Kabataan Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) did not propose “a single centavo” in Legal Assistance Fund (LAF).

The LAF was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 10022, or the amended Migrant Workers Act. Under the this law, the government is mandated to provide 100 million every year for legal assistance for OFWs, 30 million of which should be sourced directly from the national budget.

“However, no such allocation can be found under the DFA budget, nor is there a special provision that mentions the LAF,” Ridon said.

The current year budget sets aside 100 million for the LAF although militant solons said the amount is “minuscule” compared to the funding requirement for a good legal defense for OFWs facing criminal charges abroad.

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares proposed a supplemental budget of 500 million in LAF but the bill has yet to be acted upon in the Lower House.

Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao has noted an increasing number of OFWs who find themselves in trouble with the law in other countries although he expressed the optimism that most charges can be dismissed if Filipinos working overseas are given better lawyers to represent them in court.

Pacquiao, vice chairman of the House Committee on OFW Welfare, aired the belief that OFW Mary Jane Veloso could have been spared from a death conviction had she been given timely and better legal defense to defend her against charges of drug trafficking.

Pacquiao had visited Veloso at an Indonesian death row and was able to discuss her legal problem.