Justice for all, not just for some

I recently attended the UNODC Regional Workshop on Enhancing Equal Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems in Bangkok, Thailand. The gathering brought together legal aid providers from across Southeast Asia — lawyers, policymakers, and advocates united by a common goal: to make justice accessible to all.

Listening to the stories of our regional neighbors — their challenges, quiet victories and innovations — was humbling. It reminded me that while our justice systems differ in structure, our struggles are essentially the same: ensuring that the voiceless and the vulnerable can stand before the law with dignity and pride.

In many parts of Southeast Asia, and certainly in the Philippines, access to legal aid remains a work in progress. Despite constitutional guarantees, many Filipinos still face legal problems alone for lack of adequate access. The workshop affirmed the truth that legal aid is not charity; it’s a right. And a justice system that fails to make it universally available fails in its promise of equality.

Here at home, we’ve made headway, but there’s more to be done. We have a range of laws addressing legal aid, but these are scattered — existing in silos across various agencies and rules. That fragmentation weakens impact. If we want real, lasting reform, we need to harmonize these efforts into one, comprehensive framework.

This vision is what drives our work at the Department of Justice Action Center (DoJAC) and through the Katarungan Caravan, where we bring government services and free legal aid directly to the people — from urban communities to far-flung barangays.

These efforts remind me of why this work matters: the mother seeking justice for her son’s unlawful detention, the senior citizen fighting for her pension, the laborer wrongfully accused but unable to afford a lawyer. Every handwritten complaint points to the urgency of a system that will work for them too.

What struck me was the region’s growing recognition that legal aid isn’t just about defending the accused — it’s about protecting human dignity. It’s about preventing wrongful convictions, empowering communities, and restoring faith in justice systems that have too often been inaccessible or intimidating.

For the Philippines, this means moving beyond piecemeal programs and adopting a cohesive national policy on legal aid, one that strengthens the collaboration among the government, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and civil society.

We need legislation that guarantees fair representation and expands assistance to Persons Deprived of Liberty, women, and children — those who stand at the intersection of vulnerability and neglect.

The lessons from the workshop were clear: when we invest in legal aid, we invest in justice itself and ultimately in ourselves. We invest in public trust, and in the idea that every Filipino — no matter how poor, remote, or unheard — deserves to be defended and protected by the law.

As we continue to strengthen the DoJAC and expand our Katarungan Caravan, my hope is simple: that one day, access to justice in the Philippines will no longer depend on one’s means or location. Because justice should not be a privilege only for some — but a promise kept for all.