Defense department to train soldiers as para-legal personnel

By Ronron
March 30, 2008

The Defense Department is finalizing its plan to train soldiers as para-legal personnel as part of the newly released Revised Defense Planning Guidance.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. told reporters last Friday afternoon during the Philippine Army’s 111th anniversary celebration at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City that they are eyeing next month as the start of the training activities.

“Crucial to our achievement of our goal in 2010 (to defeat insurgency) is the enhancement of the legal infrastructure and capability to conduct our operations in accordance with legal models,” Teodoro said in his speech at said affair.

“So we will have an introduction of a para-legal training program, particularly in the frontline battalions,” he added.

Teodoro said each battalion in the field should have one para-legal personnel who can “do the ground work” like “answer basic petitions” if any member of said unit is faced with legal predicament.

“At least, we can provide the proper legal advice to the units in the field… This should save us in our legal costs,” he said.

Those who can be tapped as para-legal counsels can be any of “active soldiers and the non-commissioned officers” in the battalions, said Teodoro.

Their training, particularly on “criminal and penal laws,” will last “for a few months,” to be held either at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, or in their respective unit assignments.

“Our personnel from the Judge Advocate General’s Office (JAGO) can actually go the field units for a pooled seminar,” Teodoro said.

The Defense chief, who is himself a lawyer, hopes that with this new program, each soldier will be conscious of any legal repercussions whenever they operate.

The military has been at the receiving end of accusations regarding extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, especially if the victims are perceived to be sympathetic with Leftist organizations or critical with the present government.

Aside from the para-legal program, the new Defense Planning Guidance, which was released the other week, also provides for “investing on our younger soldiers in terms of training and education,” reiteration on “our adherence to Defense Resource Management,” and the reiteration “on our support to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” Teodoro said./DMS