Former Senator and newly-inducted Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Francis Tolentino said on Tuesday that he plans to form a labor attorney’s office, which aims to extend legal aid to poor workers.

In Tolentino’s first press briefing as Labor head, he said he aims to offer a service comparable to the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), but will focus on cases concerning labor and worker rights, reported DZRH reporter Tina Nolasco.

The program aims to provide workers who do not have access to a private lawyer’s services with legal assistance free of charge, particularly with regard to labor violations, illegal dismissal, and other labor-related disputes.

“I minted to create a labor attorney’s office, para ‘yung mga manggagawa natin—alam niyo ‘yung PAO? Para ‘yung mga manggagawa natin na walang kakayahang kumuha ng abogado ay magkaroon ng libreng abogado kung sila ay mayroong hinaharap na kaso, sinampang hinaing,” he said.

Besides this, Tolentino vowed that the labor agency will further strengthen programs for job generation, labor rights protection, and workplace safety in various parts of the country.

On Monday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro announced that Tolentino would be taking over DOLE, replacing Bienvenido Laguesma, who resigned due to health issues.