De Lima halts legal fees collection in DoJ

MANILA, Philippines -Justice Secretary Leila De Lima ordered the termination of collection of legal fees in the Department of Justice (DoJ) following the increase in the basic salary of prosecutors.

The DoJ chief issued Department Circular No. 025 dated April 12, 2012 ordering “all assessment clerks and collection officers in the Regional, Provincial and City Prosecution Offices to cease and desist from assessing and collecting legal fees.”

“This circular takes effect immediately and remains in force until further orders,” De Lima said.

The same DoJ Circular revoked Department Circular 42 and other related circulars implementing Republic Act 9279 or the law that granted additional compensation in the form of special allowances for the members of the National Prosecution Services and the State Counsels in the DoJ.

Under RA 9279, the special allowances shall be sourced from the collections of the National Prosecution Service and the Office of the Chief State Counsel of the Office of the Secretary of Justice from any increase in fees or new fees that they are authorized to collect as indicated under the Administrative Code of 1987.

De Lima, in her order said “with the implemented tranches of the Salary Standardization Law, the 100 percent increase in the basic salary of prosecutors has been met which effectively integrates allowances as regular pay.”