The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s signing of Republic Act No. 12177, which grants free legal assistance to military and uniformed personnel (MUP).
“With the enactment of this law, the DILG is confident that police, fire and jail personnel will be able to perform their duties with greater focus and confidence, free from the fear of harassment through baseless or unwarranted cases,” the DILG said in a statement over the weekend.
RA 12177 mandates the government to shoulder legal fees and provide full legal services—including representation, consultation, and preparation of necessary legal documents—to MUPs charged in the line of duty.
The law covers personnel from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Corrections, and the Hydrography branch of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority. It applies to active, retired, or honorably separated members.
“This law is not just a legal measure—it is a moral commitment of the government to protect those who protect the nation,” Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Marbil said in a separate statement.
“[The law] sends a clear message that our public servants in uniform are not alone when doing their sworn duties. They now have the full backing of the State,” he added.