The Covid-19 pandemic has allowed the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) to streamline its digital system.
Rogelio Quevedo, Government Corporate Counsel, said the agency has made inroads to digitize its processes.
“Pwede na ang mga e-filing. So iyong pag-render ng legal opinion, iyong pag-review ng kontrata, hindi na kinakailangang ipadala iyong physical copy ng kontrata. Pupuwede nang ipadala (E-filings are now possible. In rendering legal opinions and in reviewing contracts, there is no more need to send the physical copy of the contract. They can be sent) by e-mail,” he said during the “Laging Handa” briefing on Tuesday.
Joyce Basco, also a counsel, said the OGCC doubled its output in rendering contract reviews and legal opinions despite the pandemic that prohibited physical transactions.
“Mas naging efficient po sa gitna po ng pandemya na kinaharap po natin (We became more efficient during the pandemic),” she said.
The OGCC will hire at least 30 lawyers as part of efforts to wean the agency away from engaging private counsels for the government corporations it represents.
“Kakailangan siguro namin ng mga mahigit tatlumpung abogado pa kasi sabi ko nga ang aming mga kliyente ay sa buong Pilipinas. So iyong mga abogado ‘pag bumiyahe, eh kinukulang sa main office. Sabi ko I’ll set a policy na hindi tayo kukuha ng mga private lawyer kasi magastos iyong mga private lawyer eh (We will be needing more than 30 lawyers to service our clients throughout the Philippines. When our lawyers travel, we are left undermanned in our main office. We have a policy to avoid engaging private lawyers because their services are costly),” Quevedo said.
Among the government corporations represented by the OGCC are the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, Land Bank of the Philippines and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
The OGCC also exercises control and supervision over all legal departments or divisions of client corporations; hears and recommends actions on conflicts, disputes, claims and/or counterclaims between and among client corporations; and acts as member of task forces and special committees or in-house counsel or detailed attorneys for client corporations without legal departments. (PNA)
Source: Philippines News Agency