Amending Republic Act No. 857

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 155 March 30, 1987

AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 857

WHEREAS, it is for the best interest of any person temporarily deprived of his liberty that his right to counsel during the period of his arrest be strengthened and be made more meaningful in the light of subtle and sophisticated denials thereof by certain public officers and employees;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, do hereby order:

Sec. 1. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 857 is hereby amended to read as follows;

"Sec. 1. Any public officer or employee or anyone acting under his order or in his place, who shall obstruct, prohibit, or otherwise prevent an attorney entitled to practice in the courts of the Philippines from visiting and conferring privately with a person arrested, at any hour of the day or, in urgent cases, of the night, said visit and conference being requested by the person arrested or by another acting in his behalf, or by a national or international non-governmental organization duly...

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Amending Republic Act No. 857

• Strengthens the right of an arrested person to confer privately with a lawyer at any time of day or night.
(Section 1)
• Any public officer or employee who obstructs, prohibits, or prevents a lawyer from visiting and conferring privately with an arrested person shall be punished by prision correccional (imprisonment from 6 months and 1 day to 6 years).
(Section 1)
• The visit and conference with the lawyer can be requested by the arrested person, someone acting on their behalf, or a national or international non-governmental organization accredited by the Office of the President.
(Section 1)
• All inconsistent laws, orders, issuances, rules, and regulations are repealed or modified accordingly.
(Section 2)
• The Executive Order takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette.
(Section 3)