PAO expands mandate, needs more lawyers

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has expanded its mandate, from handling criminal cases to representing for civil, administrative, quasi-judicial, and labor cases, according to its chief, Persida Rueda Acosta.

“We’re encouraging lawyers especially those who want to render public service (to join PAO) so that our poor fellowmen will have someone to defend them,” Acosta, who was in the city last Thursday, said.

Acosta was in Bacolod for a forum on mediation in barangays organized by the office of City Councilor Carlos Jose Lopez.

“It is not difficult to hire lawyers for PAO anymore because they are now paid better. Their compensation is the same as the prosecutors’,” she said, adding that, under the PAO Law, they were able to hire 500 additional lawyers, making their number rose to 1,500.

“As of this time, we lack 1,000 lawyers. Our courts number about 2,500 nationwide but there are only 1,500 PAO lawyers,” she said.

Acosta said those who cannot afford to hire a private lawyer can now have better access to government legal services. Taxpayers can also avail themselves of PAO’s provisional and temporary services until they can hire private lawyers.

Acosta said PAO beefed up its personnel complement in the city. “We now have 11 lawyers here and five support staff (in Bacolod),” she added. (FREEMAN)