The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) forged early this week an agreement that will provide free legal assistance to clients of the DSWD.

The agreement was signed between DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman and Chief Public Attorney Persida Acosta at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City.

Under the agreement, PAO will provide legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, children in conflict with the law (CICL), and local prospective adoptive parents who are biological parents or step-parents of the prospective adoptees in adoption cases.

A victim of domestic violence may avail of the service of the PAO in filing an application/petition for the protection order and /or civil action for damages.

Moreover, the PAO provides legal assistance to CICL in the following instances: when the CICL is under detention or otherwise deprived of liberty, and is in immediate need of counsel, and when the CICL is under custodial investigation without the assistance of counsel.

The PAO shall handle adoption cases only if the prospective adopter is the biological parent or step-parent of the prospective adoptee, and the adopter is indigent.

Secretary Soliman said that this partnership would ensure that the rights of women and children are promoted and upheld, adding that they will get the justice due them at no cost.

The DSWD-PAO tie-up project will be in effect for a period of one year starting October 2013. ###