Senate bill seeks creation of online legal knowledge, assistance system

Senator Lito Lapid announced in a Saturday statement that he had filed Senate Bill No. 1751 which would create a National Legal Knowledge and Assistance System which would serve as an online repository of different Philippine laws, rules, and regulations.

The system would contain relevant treaties and international conventions in which the Philippines was a party; common legal forms and pleadings; and definition of terms and brief explanations of legal matters in simple English, Filipino, and other vernacular languages or dialects of common legal concepts, ideas, and terminologies.

Aside from the 1987 Constitution, the system would also contain the Revised Corporation Code, National Internal Revenue Code, and the Labor Code.

Readings on legal issues such as marriage and family relations, inheritance, violence against women and children, land titles and property registration, sales, loans, and mortgages would also be available.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), in coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) would establish and maintain the system.

The measure also proposes that the DOJ shall establish partnerships and agreements with similar government institutions such as the National Library, the Presidential Museum and Library, Senate and House of Representatives Library, the Supreme Court Library, the Office of the National Administrative Register of the UP Law Center, among others, for purposes of allowing digitalization and shared access to books, documents, and resources.

“Sabi nga nila, hirap ang taong walang alam sa batas. Kaya para masiguro nating maibibigay ang karapatan ng bawat Pilipino na magkaroon ng sapat na kaalaman kaugnay sa mga batas at iba pang alituntunin na pinaiiral sa ating bansa, dapat na may bukas na panggagalingan ang mga datos na ito,” Lapid explained in his statement. 

“Gamit ng Information and Communications Technology o ICT, maaabot ang lahat ng ating kababayan saan mang sulok ng bansa o mundo, para may mabilis silang pagkukunan ng mga impormasyon kaugnay sa mga usaping legal.” — DVM, GMA News