SENATOR Idol Raffy Tulfo underscored the need for the government to beef up the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) by increasing its budget and current pool of lawyers who are giving legal assistance to indigent parties.
During a courtesy visit by PAO Chief Persida Acosta at his Senate office yesterday, Tulfo said he will cooperate with the agency to help them serve more Filipinos.
“Gagawin natin ang ating makakaya para madagdagan ang budget ng PAO. Kahit ano man ang matutulong ng tanggapan ko, gagawin natin,” he said.
“Napapansin ko ngayon sa PAO ay walang tumatagal. Kukuha lang ng experience, tapos lumilipat na. Kasi overwhelmed sa trabaho. Dapat for every court, mayroong enough PAO,” he added.
According to Acosta, the current count of 2,400 lawyers nationwide under PAO is not enough, stressing that all of them are overworked.
“Overworked sila. After five years, nagfifiscal na sila or nagjajudge. Lumilipat kasi napapagod,” said Acosta.
PAO is the agency assigned to extend free legal assistance to indigent persons in criminal, civil, labor, administrative and other quasi-judicial cases.
While the PAO lawyers are lacking in number, Tulfo said he hopes that the public lawyers can ensure that the indigent parties can get the justice that they deserve.
“Although alam kong kulang, pero as much as possible, sana ay mayroong enough assistance ang indigent parties pagdating sa inquest level. kasi kung minsan yung Fiscal, nagdedecide din basta-basta na kulang sa ebidensya,” he said.
“Kasi meron akong natanggap na kaso noon, hindi ko makakalimutan ‘yun. Bodegero siya, pinagbintangan siyang nagnakaw, wala namang ebidensya na siya’y talagang nagnakaw. Base lamang sa sabi ng isang kasamahan niyang bodegero din na umalis na. Tinuluyan siya,” he added.
Sen. Idol nevertheless thanked Acosta for PAO’s consistently swift action on several cases his show, “Wanted sa Radyo,” referred to the agency.
