Due to the pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Public Attorneys’ Office (PAO) was able to served only around 2.5 million persons during the first half of the year, way below the 13 million Filipinos it served last year.
In a public address on Facebook Friday afternoon, PAO Chief Persida Acosta cited said the agency served 2,523,276 clients from January to June.
“Last year we served around 13 million Filipinos and handled 900,463 cases,” she said.
Of the cases it handled this year, Acosta said 5,494 got favorable resolutions from the judiciary and 69,502 from quasi-judicial bodies.
The PAO chief said the agency also served and freed around 31,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) since the government implemented community quarantines on March 16 up to August 31.
Acosta cited the figures on the occasion of the PAO’s 48th anniversary.
Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, Acosta assured that the PAO will continue to serve the public.