Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida V. Rueda-Acosta on Monday, April 18, said that neither she nor her office was behind the disqualification case which was filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against senatorial candidate Raffy T. Tulfo.
“Sabi po ng iba kami po nagpapa-disqualify sa kanya. Hindi po kami yun (Some people were saying that we filed the disqualification case. We did not),” Acosta said in a virtual press briefing.
Acosta was referring to the news article which stated that Tulfo’s former wife, Julieta Licup-Pearson, filed a petition before the Comelec for his disqualification on allegation that he has been convicted of libel which is a crime involving moral turpitude.
Acosta said that crimes are acts committed in violation of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) which includes libel, while, offenses are acts in violation of special laws.
“Pagka ang violation mo ay Revised Penal Code, mala in se (When the act is in violation of the RPC, it is inherently immoral). Kaya merong moral turpitude (That’s why there is moral turpitude),” she pointed out.
“Hindi po kami nag-file nun sapagkat kami po ay humihingi lamang ng public apology (We did not file it because what PAO seeks is an apology from Tulfo),” she said.
She lamented that Tulfo has not issued a public apology over the statement he aired during the April 1 interview on CNN Philippines.
During the interview, Tulfo said that he plans to put up his own free legal assistance clinic once elected as he cited that, in spite of high salaries of PAO lawyers, “pag pumunta ka sa mga inquest proceedings mapapansin mo yung mga mahihirap wala silang representation at the PAO (when you go to inquest proceedings you will notice that the poor have no representation from the PAO).”
Acosta had refuted Tulfo’s statement as he challenged the senatorial candidate to show proof.
She said that in 2021 PAO represented 85,533 persons during inquest investigation and custodial interrogation.
She also said that 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.
Citing records, she pointed out that from2016 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.