WVSU College of Law Continues its Advocacy: Signs MOA with BJMP, WVSUMC-WCPU, and WVSU College of Medicine

By Wendy Anne Apalacio

On June 25, 2024, the West Visayas State University- College of Law continues to uphold its advocacy to provide free access to legal services to those in need such as Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs), and to combat violence against women and children by signing a Memorandum of Agreement together with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), West Visayas State University- College of Medicine, and West Visayas State University Medical Center Women and Children Protection Unit (WVSUMC-WCPU).

In 2021, the WVSU College of Law started its advocacy through forming an agreement with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to implement Project E-Hustisya, a project under the GoJust Grants II, which aimed to provide free access to courts, judicial, and quasi-judicial agencies through the rendering of legal services, assistance and counsel. It is through the GoJust grant that WVSU College of Law continues to thrive in providing legal aid and information drives to community members, Children in Conflict with the Law, PDLs, as well as other partner agencies/organizations, in conjunction with its Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP), coordinated by its faculty and students.

Hence, in the MOA signing, WVSU College of Law Dean, Atty. Pauline Grace Alfuente remarked: “This is why this MOA signing for today is a significant event because it fosters a continuation of the College of Law’s commitment to continue the projects that were implemented under the GoJust Grants II. The College of Law will continue to uphold the rights of every Filipino, specifically the vulnerable sectors of society through the different projects that we will continue to implement.”

The said Memorandum of Agreement signed by the parties recognized that the WVSU College of Law, the BJMP, WVSU College of Medicine, and WVSUMC Women and Children Protection Unit are all advocates for the protection of women and children, and acknowledge their duty to protect women and children, from violence and threats to their personal safety and security as well as to uphold and fight for the rights of PDLs.

Present in the MOA signing were Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz, WVSU President; JSSUPT Marie Rose J. Laguyo MPSA, BJMP Assistant Regional Director for Administration representing JCSUPT Simeon S. Dolojo, Jr. MPA, Regional Director of Jail Bureau BJMP VI; Dra. Marie Faith Villaruz, WVSUMC Gender and Development Focal Coordinator representing Dra. Rhoda Mae Abdallah, WVSUMC-WCPU Unit Head; Dr. Victor Amantillo, Jr., Dean of the WVSU-College of Medicine. The other witnesses to said MOA signing were JCINSP Val B. Gumaru, Barotac Viejo District Jail Warden; JO2 Atty. Myrna Zosette Mesias, BJMP Region VI Chief Paralegal Section; JO2 Ariel S. Barcelona, Barotac Viejo Unit Paralegal; JO1 Rolando B. Bebanco, Jr., Paralegal JNOR; Dra. Aimee Chua, Project Leader for “No Excuse for Abuse”; Atty. Ian Thomas Besana, Associate Dean for WVSU-College of Law; Atty. Federic Loise Regencia & Atty. Reine Gustilo, Full-Time Faculty of the WVSU-College of Law

The MOA signing was funded by the European Union through the Governance in Justice (GoJust) Grants.