THE Department of Justice (DoJ) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of the Philippines (UP), aiming to modernize the country’s criminal code and align it with contemporary needs.
The partnership commits both institutions to collaborate on technical studies, legal research, and capacity-building initiatives to improve and streamline the nation’s penal laws.
The DoJ will provide the resources for these initiatives, while UP will contribute academic expertise, reference materials, and research outputs.
In addition, the DoJ is tasked in the partnership to share data, attribute intellectual property and recognize UP as its official partner in research and capacity-building activities.
“We are now committed specifically and formally to provide the services of the University of the Philippines that the Department of Justice needs,” UP Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II said in a statement on Wednesday.
“It’s about time that we put in our resources, rationalize and reconcile our work and eventually make our criminal laws understandable and accessible not only to lawyers.”
“We wish to create a new penal code that not only reflects current values and conditions but also respects rights inherent to us all as human beings,” Justice Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez said. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
