Student’s Legal Aid and Action Committee (SLAAC) Proposal

By: Councilor Melvin Banzon

(As copied from the powerpoint presentation presented during the Committee Deliberations)

I) Rationale
a. Whereas, the USC believes that education should develop a man’s physical, mental,
social, cultural, and spiritual potential to the full, in order to realize a human and
humane existence for all;
b. Whereas, it is the duty of the USC to defend and promote the rights and general welfare
of the University studentry and the Filipino people.
II) Vision
a. A USC that shall empower the whole UPD studentry by protecting basic student rights
and welfare and upholding the exercise of said rights within a paradigm that shall foster
student engagement for the development of a just and humane society.
b. The committee shall also provide external legal services to the immediate community
regarding activities that are related to the protection and exercise of human rights.
III) Mission
a. To strengthen and expand the services of the USC’s SLAAC by ensuring an educated
student body empowered to exercise their rights within a paradigm of social progress
and social justice.
IV) Structure

Chairperson

Administrative
Education Legal Relations

Paralegal Paralegal Paralegal

 a. Chairperson: shall coordinate with the Executive Chamber and direct the Committee to
ensure that the vision, mission, and objectives of the committee are met.
b. Administrative: in-charge of the house-keeping of the committee (secretariat, paralegal
monitoring, case tracking, etc)
c. Education: in-charge of the formulation of the legal framework/paradigm that shall
integrate and meet all objectives of the committee.
d. Legal Relations: in-charge of the committee projects for students and members of the
immediate community.
e. Paralegal Corps: volunteer organization or student trained to address technical legal
issues and/or concerns and perform the legal services of the committee.
V) Objectives and Projects:
a. C – odify
i. PRIMER-y: Codify all rules and regulations (College/University-specific) affecting
students by publishing a primer on basic students’ rights
ii. Policy Reviews: Spearhead a group of volunteers who will do research and
advocacy work on legal issues which affect UP students (Student Code of
Conduct, SDT, etc.)
b. H – ear
i. BataSKO, BataSKa: Provide a legal avenue for the students to voice out their
grievances.
ii. Hear and speedily act upon student grievances through the legal framework
within the University and the country.
c. I- ntegrate
i. Integrate SLAAC with the functions and services provided by the UP Office of
Legal Aid (UP OLA) and other legal-service organizations (NUPL, PVO, Paralegals’
Society, etc)
ii. Paralegal Corps: Provide an avenue for undergraduate students to experience
paralegal training apprenticeship.
d. X- tend
i. Extend the functions of SLAAC to the other stakeholders in the community.
ii. LegaLAW: Quarterly legal clinic/consultations in cooperation with the Integrated
Bar of the Philippines (IBP), UP OLA supervising lawyers, and other volunteer
lawyers and paralegals (Abogado Para sa Bayan Program) for legal missions to
those who do not have access to competent and quality legal service.
VI) 3 Pillars of Action
a. Prepare
i. Educate students by publishing materials (pamphlets, Q&A’s, FAQx) on the
following topics:
1. Basic Criminal Laws: Human Security Act, Anti-Hazing Law, Abduction,
Illegal Drugs, Illegal Possession of Fire Arms
 ii. Bill of Rigts/Basic Criminal Procedure: Arrest, Search, and Seizure, Miranda
Warning, Inquest, Preliminary investigation, Other rights of the accused.
iii. UP-related: Student code of conduct, plagiarism, cheating and other academic
concerns, sexual harassment.
b. Prevent
i. Institutionalize and integrate OLA with the USC-SLAAC as a standing University
Student Office directly tasked to represent and protect against administrative
processes affecting students’ rights.
ii. Conduct seminars/symposia/trainings on the three topics in cooperation with
the following offices.
1. Basic Criminal Law: UP Law, LSG, PVO, OLA Interns, NGOs, DOJ, PDEA,
UP Law-based organizations
2. Bill of Rights/Basic Criminal Procedure: FLAG, UP OLA, DOJ, PAO
3. UP-Related: OVCSA, OSA, SDT
c. Provide
i. Immediate:
1. Creation of Quick Reaction Teams to be deployed once a student is
subjected to administrative processes which prejudice his/her basic
human rights within and even outside UPD.
a. QRTs will be composed of student-volunteers from UP Law, UP
Paralegal Society, UP Law-based
fraternities/sororities/organizations.
b. QRTs will receive trainings from experts in criminal law and
procedure
ii. Long Term
1. Prosecution: When a UP student is a victim of any crime, SLAAC will help
him/her by:
a. Referring his/her case to the proper agency/prosecutor’s office.
b. Referring his/her case to UP OLA.
2. Defense:
a. When a student is accused of any crime, SLAAC will refer his
case to UP OLA, PAO, or any volunteer group of lawyers.
b. When a student is facing administrative charges before the SDT,
SLAAC will help by referring it to OLA or standing as counsel.