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PAO to hire 400 new lawyers

Philippines | National

PAO to hire 400 new lawyers

By Jeffrey Damicog

Public Attorney's Office

The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) will tap about 400 out of the incoming 8,241 new lawyers to beef up its legal services to the poor nationwide.

PAO Chief Persida V. Rueda Acosta said her office is ready to screen and hire 400 lawyers in addition to its present 2,328 legal staff.

The 8,241 new lawyers who passed the online bar examinations for 2020-2021 are set to their oaths on May 2.

Acosta said that in 2021 PAO represented 85,533 persons during inquest investigation and custodial interrogation.

She said that also in 2021, PAO handled 787,124 cases; served 9,707,274 clients; and secured the acquittals in 13,804 cases filed against the poor and the underprivileged.

Also, she said that from 2016 to 2021, PAO served a total of 63,739,837 clients. They included 985,051 persons who were represented by PAO during inquest investigation and custodial interrogation, and 106,562 individuals who were acquitted of their criminal charges, she added.

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