Philippines

Language English

While the Philippines has experienced rapid economic and social transformation in the past years, the Government has committed to strengthening the administration of justice as highlighted in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

IDLO in the Philippines is working with the government, civil society and justice professionals to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in the disposition of cases, expand access to quality free or affordable legal services, improve the prosecution of criminal cases, ensure gender-responsive justice, and strengthen the rule of law to advance peace and sustainable development.

The Philippines joined IDLO in 1989 as one of its founding Member Parties and hosted IDLO’s Asia Regional Training Office from 1996-2001. Since 2016, IDLO has been providing technical support by assisting the advancement of its partner institutions, beginning with the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman. In more recent years, IDLO has worked with the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Supreme Court’s Philippine Judicial Academy and the Philippine Commission on Women. As the partnership with the Philippines continues to strengthen and deepen, IDLO is committed to exploring new opportunities for collaboration.

Survivor-centered Justice: Why Is It Essential for Ending Gender-based Violence?

Survivor-centered Justice: Why Is It Essential for Ending Gender-based Violence?

Rule of Law in the time of COVID-19: The Philippines

Like all other parts of public life, the administration of justice and access to legal remedies and dispute resolution have been severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alumni Voice from the Philippines

In 1998, while working as a Court Attorney in the Court of Appeals of the Philippines, Rowena Nieves A. Tan, had the opportunity to come to Rome to attend the “Development Lawyers Course”, a flagship 12-week course organized by IDLO to provide practical training on a range of basic lawyering skills, as well as more specialized legal topics.

Philippines: Capacity building to combat money laundering

The Philippines has come a long way in combating money laundering over the past decade, making significant progress on reforming its legal and regulatory framework and addressing deficiencies, but it still experiences substantial challenges in dealing with the complex, transnational issues posed by money laundering.

Engaging with informal systems to enhance justice for women

As countries seek to make progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16, there is growing recognition that it is essential to work with both state and non-state justice systems to strengthen the rule of law and effectively prevent and resolve conflicts.

Postcards from prosecutors: Philippines Department of Justice

Prosecutors play a key role in keeping criminals off the streets. But in the Philippines, day-to-day challenges can significantly hamper their work. A severe shortage of staff has resulted in a heavy workload for existing prosecutors, with individuals spread thinly across multiple courts.

IDLO, the Philippines Ombudsman celebrate 30 years of justice and integrity

The Philippines’ Office of the Ombudsman commemorated its 30 years of existence during a Joint Forum with IDLO in Manila on May 8, 2018. The Forum occurred as IDLO celebrates its 30th anniversary as an intergovernmental organization this year, marking a mutually significant occasion for both institutions.

Philippines Forum on Justice and Integrity

Joint Forum – Why Our Work Matters? Revisiting Institutional Efforts on Justice and Integrity

The realization of justice depends on respect for institutions and the rule of law. By adhering to well-defined legislation, impartial rulings can facilitate a fair, efficient and accountable delivery of justice.

Integrity and anti-corruption in the Philippines

With rapidly growing economic and social sectors, the improvement of its justice system is key to the Philippines securing the status of a newly developed country. IDLO has been implementing a program in the Philippines to enhance the competency of prosecutors with a view to increasing the successful disposition of cases against public officials and efficiently addressing corruption.

Key Initiatives

Enhancing the capacity of prosecutors in the Philippines

The criminal justice system in the Philippines experiences poor coordination among agencies, particularly police and prosecutors. Currently, there is a shortage of prosecutors to take criminal cases to trial in the Department of Justice (DOJ), and many of those who serve on behalf of the people require support in order to perform their duties with a high level of necessary knowledge, skills and ethics.