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Vision, Mission, Mandate and Functions

Vision

A just and peaceful society anchored on the principles of transparency, accountability, fairness
and truth.

Mission

Effective, efficient and equitable administration of justice.

Mandate

The Department of Justice (DOJ) derives its mandate primarily from the Administrative Code of
1987 (Executive Order No. 292). It carries out this mandate through the Department Proper and
the Department’s attached agencies under the direct control and supervision of the Secretary of
Justice.

Under Executive Order (EO) 292, the DOJ is the government’s principal law agency. As such,
the DOJ serves as the government’s prosecution arm and administers the government’s criminal
justice system by investigating crimes, prosecuting offenders and overseeing the correctional
system.

The DOJ, through Its offices and constituent/attached agencies, is also the government’s legal
counsel and representative in litigations and proceedings requiring the services of a lawyer;
implements the Philippines’ laws on the admission and stay of aliens within its territory; and
provides free legal services to indigent and other qualified citizens.

Functions
 1. Administration of the Criminal Justice System

The DOJ investigates the commission of crimes and prosecutes offenders through the National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the National Prosecution Service (NPS), respectively.
Likewise, the DOJ administers the probation and correction system of the country through the
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP)and the Parole and
Probation Administration (PPA).

2. Legal Counsel of Government

The DOJ, through the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and the Office of the Government
Corporate Counsel (OGCC), acts as the legal representative of the Government of the
Philippines, its agencies and instrumentalities including government owned and controlled
corporations and their subsidiaries, officials and agents in any proceeding, investigation or matter
requiring the services of a lawyer.

EO 292 specifically designates the Secretary as Attorney-General and ex-officio legal adviser of
government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCC) and their subsidiaries. The Secretary
exercises administrative adjudicatory powers over all controversies between/among government
agencies, including government owned and controlled corporations including their subsidiaries.
This power of adjudication of the Secretary originally stemmed from Presidential Decree No.
242, and is now embodied in Sections 66 to 71, Chapter 14, Book IV of E.O. 292.

The Secretary is likewise empowered to act on all queries and/or requests for legal advice and
guidance from private parties and other officials and employees of the government.

3. Regulation of Immigration

The DOJ provides immigration and naturalization regulatory services and implements the laws
governing citizenship and the admission and stay of aliens through the Bureau of Immigration
(BI). Also, under Administrative Order No. 142 dated August 23, 1994, the Secretary or his duly-
authorized representative is authorized to act on immigration matters, including waiver of visas
and admission of aliens, except deportation matters.

Likewise, the DOJ, through the DOJ Refugee Processing Unit (DOJ-RPU), processes
applications for refugee status of persons pursuant to the obligations of the Philippines as
signatory to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees.

4. International Cooperation

The DOJ is the central authority of the Republic of the Philippines relative to extradition and
mutual legal assistance treaties (MLAT) on criminal matters and is involved in several aspects of
international cooperation such as the drafting and implementation of legislation and agreements
as well as the negotiation of extradition and MLAT. Moreover, under Philippine Extradition Law
(P.D. 1069), the DOJ handles requests for extradition and/or mutual legal assistance and
represents treaty partners in Philippine courts.

The Department is also involved in the negotiation of various investment and trade agreements
with other foreign countries. The Secretary is also the ex-officio Co-Vice Chairman of the
Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs (CMOA) pursuant to EO 612 and EO 612-A (2007),
which is involved in the identification of the Philippine baselines and in the preparation of the
submission to the United Nations of the country’s claim for extended continental shelf.

5. Provision of Free Legal Assistance

The DOJ provides free legal assistance/representation to indigents and poor litigants as well as
other qualified persons in criminal, civil, and labor cases, administrative and other quasi-judicial
proceedings and non-commercial disputes through the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO)pursuant to
RA No. 9406.

6. Alternative Dispute Resolution

With regard to conciliation and mediation, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2004 (RA
9285) created the Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution (OADR), which is an agency
attached to the DOJ and which is tasked to promote, develop and expand the use of alternative
dispute resolution in civil and commercial disputes.

7. DOJ functions under other laws and other executive issuances:

In addition to performing its mandate under E.O. 292, the Department is significantly involved in
the implementation of the following penal, national security, and social welfare laws:

The Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act (R.A. 6981), which mandates the DOJ to
formulate and implement a Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program for the admission
and protection of witnesses;

Implementation of the Victims Compensation Program through the Board of Claims created
under the DOJ (RA 7309);

Administrative Order No. 99 (1988), designated DOJ as lead implementor of Justice System
Infrastructure Program (JUSIP) that was tasked to construct/rehabilitate decent office buildings
for judges, prosecutors, public attorneys, probation officers, and registers of deeds;

Executive Order 180 (1987), which created the Public Sector Labor Management Council, of
which the Secretary is a member, to provide guidelines for the exercise of the right of
government employees to organize;

The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (RA 9165), which created the Dangerous
Drugs Boardto see to policy-making and strategy-formulation on drug prevention and control
and designated the Secretary or his representative as ex-officio member of such Board;

The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 (R.A. 9160), which created the Anti-Money
Laundering Council (AMLC) to which the DOJ is a support agency through the investigation of
money laundering offenses and the prosecution of offenders. With the DOJ Anti-Money
Laundering Desk (DOJ-AMLD), the DOJ works in close coordination with the AMLC in its task
of combating money laundering and financing of terrorism;

The Human Security Act of 2007 (RA 9372) which created and designated the Secretary as ex-
officio member thereof. Relative to this and under EO 292, the Secretary is also an ex-officio
member of the National Security Council (NSC), which advises the President with respect to the
integration of domestic, foreign, military, political, economic, social, and educational policies
relating to national security;
The Rape Victim Assistance and Protection Act of 1998 (RA 8505), which mandated the DOJ to
participate in inter-agency efforts to establish Rape Crisis Centers in every city or province for
the purpose of rendering assistance to rape victims;
The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (R.A. 9208), which mandates the prosecution of
persons accused of human trafficking and for that purpose, created the Inter-Agency Council on
Trafficking (IACAT), of which the Secretary is Chairman;
The Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 (RA 9262), which designated
the Department as a member agency of the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women
and their Children (IACVAWC), the monitoring body of government initiatives to counter
violence against women and children;
Executive Order 53 (2011) amending EO No. 275 pursuant to the Special Protection of Children
Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act (RA 7610), designating the DOJ Secretary
as the Chairperson of the Committee for the Special Protection of Children;
Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 (IRR of RA), designating the Secretary of Justice as
member of Inter-Agency Council Against Child Pornography that is tasked to coordinate,
monitor and oversee the implementation of Anti-Child Pornography Act;
Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175), the Office of Cybercrime within the DOJ
designated as the central authority in all matters related to international mutual assistance and
extradition;
Executive Order 45 (2011), which designated the DOJ as competition authority that investigates
all cases involving violations of competition laws and prosecute violators to prevent, restrain and
punish monopolization, cartels and combinations in restraint of trade;

Administrative Order 35 (2012), which designated the Secretary of Justice as Chairperson of the
Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other
Grave Violations on the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Persons, the body that undertakes
inventory of cases mentioned perpetrated by state and non-state forces;
Memorandum Circular No. 68 (2014), creating an Inter-Agency Task Force to Strengthen the
Implementation of RA 8049 otherwise known as the Anti-Hazing Law, with the DOJ Secretary
as Chairperson.
Other tasks falling within the multifarious duties of the executive branch to administer the laws
devolve upon the Department through the Secretary, to wit:

The Anti-Dummy Law (Commonwealth No. 108), as amended by Presidential Decree 715,
whereby the Secretary is empowered to authorize the employment of aliens as technical
personnel in the management of a franchise, business or enterprise expressly reserved by law to
Filipino citizens or corporations or associations whose equity at least 60% of which is owned by
Filipinos;
The Local Government Code (Section 187 of RA 7160) which vests in the Secretary appellate
jurisdiction over the constitutionality or legality of municipal tax ordinances and revenue;
measures;
Executive Order 643 (2007) which vests the DOJ with administrative supervision over the
Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).
The Secretary is also an ex-officio member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) [Section 8(1),
Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution], the Committee on Privatization [AO 48 (1987)], and the
National Water Resources Board (NWRB) (EO 123, series of 2002). He is also an ex-officio
director of the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM)Corporation (RA
9136, otherwise known as Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001). Under EO 648, series
of 1981, an undersecretary of the DOJ is designated as an ex-officio Commissioner of the
Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

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The following are the different organizations and associations in the Department of Justice:

Prosecutors League of the Philippines (PLP)

Office of the Secretary of Justice Employees Multi-purpose Cooperative (OSJEMPC)
DOJ Provident Fund Inc.
Department of Justice Employees Association (DOJEA)
State Prosecutors and Prosecution Attorneys’ Association, Inc. (SPPAAI).
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