20/09/2026
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OPINION | What good is a right if you cannot afford the cost of exercising it?
If justice is supposed to be equal, why is it always easier to reach for those who can afford it? Why does exercising a right become difficult when people cannot afford the cost of pursuing it?
Article III, Section 11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution is explicit: “Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty.” Yet for many Filipinos, having a right on paper does not always mean having the means to exercise it.
When a legal crisis hits, an ordinary citizen faces an uphill battle. They may lack the money to hire a private lawyer, the flexible time to attend repeated hearings, or even the basic information needed to find help. The law guarantees their protection, but the path to reaching it remains difficult.
The Supreme Court’s Unified Legal Aid Service (ULAS) requires covered lawyers to provide at least 60 hours of free legal assistance every three years to people who cannot afford representation. In March 2026, the first phase of the ULAS Portal was launched to make these services more accessible.
These efforts matter. However, access to legal aid cannot be measured only by whether assistance exists. It also depends on whether the people who need it can actually find, reach, and use it. If equal access is a constitutional right, why does finding it still require navigating an exhausting maze of systems, offices, and procedures?
The issue is not that Philippine courts openly favor the rich. Cases are still decided according to the law and evidence. The deeper problem is what happens before a person can fully participate in that process.
A wealthy citizen can secure legal advice instantly. A poor citizen may spend days searching for free help, decoding complex procedures, traveling to distant government offices, and balancing a lawsuit against the daily struggle to survive. This disparity can determine who gets heard, who gives up, and who can afford to keep going.
Legal aid is not charity. It is an essential part of making a constitutional mandate real.
At the end of the day, having laws that look fair on paper is not enough. The Philippines needs a justice system that ordinary citizens can actually reach.
When justice carries a price tag, it ceases to be a right and becomes a privilege. Because what good is a right if you cannot afford the cost of exercising it?
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(by Jovince Manulat | Probationary)
(layout by Jay-Myka Tagalog | Plumeria)
