Provincial Board Member Antonino “Tonyboy” Roman is the viral TikTok lawyer who gives free legal advice and serves as a public servant in Bataan
Atty. Tony Roman III is a certified lawyer in both the Philippines and New York, USA; and a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Bataan, representing the first district. But what makes him stand out is his passion for giving free legal advice to anyone who needs it.
Roman uses social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok to reach out to his followers and answer their legal questions. He has more than one million followers on TikTok and more than one million likes on Facebook, where he posts videos and live streams of his legal consultations. He also conducts in-person legal advice sessions in various barangays and municipalities in Bataan.
He says that his motivation for giving free legal advice is to help people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer or who are afraid to seek legal assistance. He also wants to educate the public about their rights and responsibilities under the law. He believes that legal literacy and awareness are important for a democratic society.
Aside from his legal work, he is also busy with his legislative work and various projects for his constituents. In his first year as a public servant, he has achieved the following: 7 ordinances, 59 resollutions, 2 decisions in administrative cases.
Some of his notable ordinances include the Provincial Legal Awareness Group Ordinance, which aims to promote legal literacy and awareness among the Bataeños by creating a group of volunteer lawyers, paralegals, law students and other legal professionals who will conduct seminars, workshops and consultations on various legal topics; the English Competency Week Ordinance, which mandates the celebration of English Competency Week every third week of November in all public and private schools, colleges and universities in Bataan; and the Freedom of Information Ordinance, which implements the constitutional right to information and access to public records and documents in the provincial government of Bataan.
He has also initiated and implemented various projects for his constituents posted on his social media account, such as:
• LIVELIHOOD ASSISTANCE: More than 10M for more than 2,300 beneficiaries
• SLIPPERS FOR THE FIRST DISTRICT: 1,400 beneficiaries
• HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREAT: 700 beneficiaries
• STORM RELIEF WORK: 550 beneficiaries
• CHRISTMAS FOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE: 403 beneficiaries
• MEDICAL MISSION: Almost 2,000 beneficiaries
• SCHOLARSHIP: 300 beneficiaries
• IN-PERSON LEGAL ADVICE: More than 1,200 beneficiaries
• CHATBOT LEGAL ADVICE: More than 330K beneficiaries in 2 years
• FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: More than 1,500 beneficiaries
• RICE FOR THE BARANGAYS: One sack per Barangay
• MGA BALAK: Assistance + Development
He has also received 2 national awards for excellence in public service.