Short answer. You can apply without a lawyer, and help is owed to you rather than offered as a favour. Barangay officials and court personnel are directed to assist applicants in preparing the application, and law enforcement agents to extend assistance in cases brought to their attention.

What the law says

Barangay officials and court personnel shall assist applicants in the preparation of the application. Law enforcement agents shall also extend assistance in the application for protection orders in cases brought to their attention.

RA 9262, Section 11 — How To Apply. Read the full provision →

The form is meant to be usable without counsel

That is the design. A standard application form is to be made available, written in English with translation into the major local languages, precisely to make applications easier to bring. What the Act requires of you is that the application be in writing, signed and verified under oath by the applicant. There is no requirement that a lawyer prepare or sign it. In a proceeding before the Punong Barangay, the Act also allows the parties to be accompanied by a non-lawyer advocate.

What the form will ask you for

Knowing the fields in advance is most of the preparation. The form covers the names and addresses of the petitioner and the respondent, a description of the relationship between them, and a statement of the circumstances of the abuse. It then asks whether counsel is requested and why, asks whether you want application fees waived until hearing, and asks you to attest that no application for a protection order is pending in another court. If putting your address in the form would itself be dangerous, raise that before it is filled in.

Asking for a lawyer is part of the same form

You do not need to arrange counsel separately first. If you request in the application that counsel be appointed because you lack the economic means to hire one, the court is directed to immediately have the Public Attorney's Office represent you at the hearing. If PAO assesses that you can in fact afford private counsel, it is to facilitate that representation rather than simply decline. A private lawyer acting without charge is not barred from representing you either.

Being understood is also owed to you

The Act does not stop at the paperwork. Prosecutors and court personnel are directed to communicate with the woman or her child in a language she understands, and to inform her of her rights, the legal remedies and procedure available, and the privileges for indigent litigants. Victims' rights under the Act include being treated with respect and dignity and being told what services are available. If someone is rushing you through a form in a language you are guessing at, you are entitled to say so.

Related provisions

Note. Statute text quoted on this page is reproduced from the official enactment and is linked to the full provision. The explanation around it is general legal information from Vivas & Nobles Law Office, not legal advice. Whether it applies to your situation depends on facts only a lawyer reviewing them can assess.