The situation, in brief
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has established eight Regional Katarungan Offices across the country offering free legal assistance, referrals, mediation, and coordination with prosecutors, bringing the agency’s services within reach of ordinary Filipinos who previously saw the DOJ as distant…
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has established eight Regional Katarungan Offices across the country offering free legal assistance, referrals, mediation, and coordination with prosecutors, bringing the agency’s services within reach of ordinary Filipinos who previously saw the DOJ as distant, intimidating, and inaccessible.
Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on July 11, as part of “The DZRH SONA 2026 Series,” saying the offices represent a deliberate effort to change how Filipinos experience the justice system.
“Dati ‘yung tingin ng tao pag pinag-uusapan ang DOJ na department po, parang unattainable. Pero ngayon po, dahil po sa ating mga nationwide na programa po sa DOJ po, napaparating natin sa kanila na pwede niyo kaming lapitan,” Undersecretary Gutierrez said.
She said the eight offices are located in San Fernando City in La Union, Nueva Ecija, Bacoor in Cavite, Legazpi in Albay, Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro, Davao City, and Koronadal City, covering key areas across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The offices offer free legal assistance to walk-in clients, referrals to the appropriate government agencies or courts, mediation services for disputes that do not need to go to trial, and direct coordination with DOJ prosecutors when cases need to be elevated.
Undersecretary Gutierrez said the growth in clients served reflects how much demand had gone unmet: from 10,928 clients served in 2023, the number climbed to 14,155 in 2024, surged to 25,581 in 2025, and has already reached 15,157 in just the first half of 2026.
She said the offices also serve as a filter, helping ordinary Filipinos understand whether their concern warrants a criminal case, a civil action, or simply mediation, sparing them the time and expense of going directly to court without guidance.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the Katarungan Offices are part of the DOJ’s efforts to make justice not just a concept written in law but a service that Filipinos can actually walk in and access, regardless of where they live or whether they can afford a lawyer.
