Contributed by Nuel Sabate, AHRC Resident Intern

The Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) hosted the Pro-Bono Hong Kong (PBHK), a Hong Kong-based legal charity organization, in a “Experiential Learning and Study Visit to the Philippines” on August 27 to 30, 2024.

This visit marked the second phase of the Learning Exchange Program with PBHK. In July 2024, the AHRC Project Team – led  by Atty. Teresa Kristel Banta (Project Manager), Atty. Katrina Isabela Blanco (AHRC Program Officer and Supervising Lawyer), Atty. Katrina Coscolluela (Project Officer), Danielle Anne Requilman (Project Assistant), Andre Lloyd Arellano and Nuel Angelo Sabate (AHRC Interns) – conducted the first phase of the program in Hong Kong. 

The AHRC Team welcomed the PBHK delegation, including Davyd Wong (Founder and Director), Edward Chin (Supervising Lawyer), Chantal Chung (Office Manager), Nelson Chu (Case Officer), Jonathan Qiu, Cheryl Sin Yee, Alvin Yiu, and Julianna Zamora (PBHK Interns and Volunteers) during an alignment session at Room 203 of the Ateneo Professional Schools (APS), Rockwell on August 27, 2024.  The session emphasized the program’s overall design to ensure active participation and shared objectives among all attendees.

In the afternoon of the first day, PBHK attended AHRC’s launch of the Anti-Red-Tagging Monitoring Tool at the Amphitheatre of the APS. As part of their visit, PBHK was exposed to the human rights situation in the country through AHRC’s monitoring of red-tagging incidents as well as meeting various human rights-concerned organizations and institutions who are partners of AHRC. 

The PBHK delegation held a courtesy visit with Atty. Jose Maria G. Hofileña, Dean of the Ateneo Law School (ALS), at the Dean’s Office. Dean Hofileña discussed the role of the Supreme Court in legal education in the Philippines and emphasized access-to-justice programs, while also sharing Ateneo’s Ignatian mission and its commitment to shaping the next generation of lawyers.

On August 28, the Project Team took the PBHK delegation to the Ermita office of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) in Manila to observe government legal aid operations. The delegation gained valuable insights about the work of public defenders and the usual responsibilities of PAO lawyers.

The group then traveled to Quezon City to visit KAISAHAN, a non-government organization dedicated to assisting farmers in accessing agrarian reform remedies. Atty. Claire Demaisip, KAISAHAN’s Legal Coordinator, presented the organization’s advocacy to help farmers benefit from agrarian reform grants.

On August 29, 2024, the Project Team brought the PBHK delegation back to the Ateneo Professional Schools to meet with the Ateneo Legal Services Center (ALSC), an ALS-based public interest center that provides legal service to the poor and disadvantaged through a competently supervised student practice and clinical legal education program. Atty. Maria Patricia Cervantes-Poco, one of the Supervising Lawyers of ALSC, shared the process in receiving cases, the scope of their work, and the extent to which students participate. 

Following their meeting with ALSC, the AHRC Executive Committee held a round-table discussion with PBHK’s supervising staff and lawyers. AHRC presented its various projects and advocacies, while PBHK shared insights about its own work. The discussion produced several potential collaborative projects for PBHK to explore moving forward.

While PBHK’s staff engaged with the Executive Committee, interns from both organizations convened for a discussion led by AHRC interns. Urduja Desk Head Marce Sta. Maria, former Akibat Desk Head Aubrey Garganera, former Katutubo Desk Head Ella Lucero, AHRC resident interns Joanne Nicole Sy, and Marsella Ludan discussed their experiences as interns of AHRC as well as being a law student in the Philippines. The group was able to share similarities and differences in the legal frameworks and socio-political challenges between Hong Kong and the Philippines. 

Ending their third day, the Project Team took the PBHK delegation to the office of the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation (HLAF), a non-governmental organization advocating for jail decongestion and reintegration of ex-detainees, and assist persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) access basic legal remedies. The delegation learned about the need for HLAF to partner and work with different government agencies such as the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and several other local government units in order to carry out its advocacy and projects. 

On August 30, the final day of their visit, the PBHK delegation participated in a Clinical Legal Education class led by Ateneo Law Professor, Atty. Felipe Closa at the Ateneo Professional School. This experience provided insights into Ateneo’s training methods, showcasing how students are prepared for trial advocacy in legal aid work, and prompted reflections on potentially establishing a similar program in Hong Kong. 

AHRC looks forward to further collaborations with PBHK as they prepare for the third and final phase of this Learning Exchange Program, which will be conducted online. The team hopes to culminate this learning experience with a Legal Aid Program for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong, in partnership with the Philippine Consulate, scheduled for November this year.