Lapid pushes for creation of online legal database

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid has filed a bill that proposes the creation of an online legal database that will contain the 1987 Constitution, laws, and regulations of the Philippines.

Senate Bill No. 1751, if passed into law, will create the National Legal Knowledge and Assistance System that will serve as an online repository of different rules, laws, and regulations in the Philippines.

The database will also contain treaties and international conventions where the Philippines is a party, common legal forms, and pleadings, and definition of terms and brief explanation of legal matters in simple English, Filipino, and other vernacular languages or dialects of common legal concepts, ideas, and terminologies.

The Department of Justice and the Department of Information and Communication Technology will be mandated to establish and maintain the database that will be accessible throughout the country.

“Sabi nga nila, hirap ang taong walang alam sa batas. Kaya para masiguro nating maibibigay ang karapatan ng bawat Pilipino na magkaroon ng sapat na kaalaman kaugnay sa mga batas at iba pang alituntunin na pinaiiral sa ating bansa, dapat na may bukas na panggagalingan ang mga datos na ito. Gamit ng Information and Communications Technology o ICT, maaabot ang lahat ng ating kababayan saan mang sulok ng bansa o mundo, para may mabilis silang pagkukunan ng mga impormasyon kaugnay sa mga usaping legal,” said Lapid in a statement.

(They say that a person ignorant of the laws is at a disadvantage. So to make sure that every Filipino gets his right to be knowledgeable of the country’s laws and other regulations that run the nation, there should be an open database for everyone to use. Using Information and Communications Technology or ICT, all of our fellow Filipinos will have access to this legal database wherever they are in the country or in the world. This will allow them to have quick access to information on anything legal.)

The database will also contain the Revised Corporation Code, National Internal Revenue Code, and Labor Code all of which will have translations in vernacular languages and dialects.

Lapid said Filipinos have the right to learn even the simplest legal terms and that one doesn’t need to be a lawyer to understand the basics of the country’s legal system.

“Sa ngayon wala pang website na nagbibigay ng updated at libreng impormasyon kaugnay sa ating Konstitusyon at mga usapang legal. Maging ang simpleng mga termino na maipaliwanag sana sa ating mga kababayan sa salitang naiintindihan nila ay malaking tulong para lahat tayo, kahit hindi abugado ay may alam sa ating mga karapatan at hindi tayo basta maloloko,” said Lapid.

(Right now there’s no website that offers and updated and free information database in terms of our Constitution and the legal system. Just the mere understanding of simple legal terms that our countrymen will understand will be a great help to all of us. Even if you’re not a lawyer, you have to right to be knowledgeable of our laws, and having that knowledge will prevent you from getting fooled.)

Lapid’s proposal will also mandate the DOJ to establish partnerships and agreements with similar government institutions such as the National Library, Presidential Museum and Library, Senate and House of Representatives Library, Supreme Court Library, and the Office of the National Administrative Register of the University of the Philippines Law Center for purposes of allowing digitalization and shared access to books, documents and resources.

/MUF