OCA CIRCULAR NO. 67-2007, June 12, 2007

Quoted hereunder for the information and guidance of
all concerned are the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 9406
entitled “AN ACT REORGANIZING AND STRENGTHENING THE PUBLIC ATTORNEY’S
OFFICE (PAO), AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF EXECUTIVE
ORDER NO. 292, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ‘ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1987’, AS
AMENDED, GRANTING SPECIAL ALLOWANCE TO PAO OFFICIALS AND LAWYERS, AND
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFORE which took effect on April 15, 2007, to wit:

“SEC.2. Section 14 xxx is hereby further amended to follows:

”

SEC. 14. Public Attorney’s Office (PAO). – xxx xxx xxx

“The PAO shall be the principal law office
Government in extending free legal assistance to indigent persons in
criminal, civil, labor, admin and other quasi-judicial cases.”
(Emphasis underlined)

xxx xxx xxx

SEC. 6. New section xxx

xxx xxx xxx

“SEC.16.D. Exemption from Fees and Costs of the Suit. –
The clients of the PAO shall be exempt payment of docket and other fees
incidental to instituting an action in court and of her quasi-judicial
bodies, as an original proceeding or on appeal.

The costs of the suit, attorney’s fees and contingent fees imposed upon the adversary of the PAO clients after a
successful litigation shall be depsited in the National Treasury as trust fund and s
disbursed for special allowances of authorized and lawyers of the PAO.” (Emphasis underlined)’

However, the entitlement to the exemption from the
p of docket and other fees shall be subject to the conditions prescribed under
Section 19, Rule 141 of the Revised F Court .

Thus, the indigent client of PAO shall execute an
stating (a) that his gross income and that of his immediate do not
exceed an amount double the monthly minimum was employee; and (b) that
the indigent client does not own property with a fair market value, as
stated in the a current tax declaration, of more than three hundred th
(P300,000.00) pesos.

The affidavit of the indigent client shall be
supported by an affidavit of a disinterested person attesting to the
truth of the former.

Strict compliance is hereby enjoined.

June __12__, 2007.