[ Acts No. 4152, November 28, 1934 ]
AN ACT AUTHORIZING LABOR AGENTS WHO ARE DULY QUALIFIED ATTORNEYS TO DEFEND INDIGENT ACCUSED PERSONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Legislature assembled and by the authority of the same:
Section 1. With the authority of the Secretary of Labor in each case, the labor agents of the Bureau of Labor who are duly qualified attorneys may, without payment of any kind, defend indigent accused persons in criminal cases in the courts of justice of the Philippine Islands. The labor agents shall in such cases make the necessary investigations and shall not take charge of the defense of the accused unless, in their opinion, the interests of justice will be benefited thereby.
Section 2. For the purposes of the preceding section, a person shall be deemed indigent if he does not own property, whether real estate, live stock, shares, securities, or chattels, worth over five hundred pesos, or if his average monthly compensation or income for the last six months has not been greater than fifty pesos, if he is not the spouse or dependent of a person having such property, shares, securities or income, and if he signs an affidavit to that effect before a labor agent.1aшphi1
Section 3. When a criminal case defended by a labor agent is appealed to the Supreme Court, said labor agent shall forthwith make a report to the Secretary of Labor, setting forth the facts and law of the case and the findings of the trial court.
Section 4. This Act shall take effect on its approval.
Approved, November 28, 1934.
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