THE PHILIPPINES has received a P1-billion (€16.5-million) grant from the European Union (EU) for a program that will protect the rights of Filipinos for a responsive justice system, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said on Wednesday.
Mr. Recto said in a statement the grant agreement for the Enabling Justice and Rule of Law in the Philippines of the Justice Sector Coordinating Council was signed on Nov. 22.
The grant aims to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country “by creating a more effective, inclusive, and accountable justice system,” the statement read.
“This agreement is of great importance to us because we recognize that economic progress and the rule of law must go hand in hand,” Mr. Recto said in his opening remarks at the ceremonial exchange of document on Wednesday.
It will improve legal aid services for marginalized groups by boosting the capacities of local justice sector actors and will straighten coordination between the justice institutions. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante