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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PAO needs more lawyers to serve poor litigants

PAO needs more lawyers to serve poor litigants

Published Apr 6, 2022 02:40 pm

Public Attorney's Office

Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida V. Rueda Acosta urged the strengthening of her office with the provision of more lawyers to attend to the legal services sought by poor litigants.

During a television interview on Wednesday, April 6, Acosta said that PAO has only 2,400 lawyers to attend proceedings in almost 3,000 courts nationwide.

Aside from court proceedings, she said that PAO lawyers also attend preliminary investigations and inquest proceedings before prosecutors’ offices aside from cases in quasi-judicial bodies sought by poor litigants.

Acosta’s sentiments were aired in reaction to the statements recently aired by senatorial candidate Raffy T. Tulfo who, among other things, said that “pag pumunta ka sa mga inquest proceedings mapapansin mo yung mga mahihirap wala silang representation from the PAO (when you go to inquest proceedings you will notice that the poor have no representation from the PAO).”

“Wala siyang karapatan na sabihan kaming hindi nagtatrabaho. Hindi na nga halos natutulog ang mga abogado ko (He has no right to say that PAO lawyers are not working. PAO lawyers almost have no time to sleep because of the number of work they have to accomplish),” she said.

During the same interview, Acosta said that 11 lawyers have been dismissed since 2001.

“Labing isa na yung na-dismiss ko from service dito sa PAO (I have dismissed 11 persons from service here at the PAO),” she said.

She also said that there also five personnel who were dropped from the rolls, nine suspended, 38 fined, and 45 reprimanded.

She added that there were also four presidential appointees who were dismissed by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“Kaya dito ang mga public attorneys laging red alert. May disiplina (That’s why public attorneys are always on red alert. They have discipline),” she stressed.

“May accountability po dito (We have accountability at PAO),” she added.

On Tulfo’s tirades against PAO, Acosta said that the senatorial candidate should be grateful to her office for immediately acting on his referrals of persons who lined up to his show to seek legal assistance.

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