Public Attorney's Office (Philippines)

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| name = Public Attorney's Office

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| formed = {{Start date|1972}} as Citizen's Legal Assistance Office

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| jurisdiction = Philippines

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| employees = 3,518 (2024){{Cite web |last=Department of Budget and Management |title=Staffing Summary Fiscal Year 2024 |url=https://www.dbm.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/Staffing/STAFFING2024/STAFFING-SUMMARY-2024.pdf |access-date=April 24, 2025}}

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| chief1_name = Persida Acosta

| chief1_position = Chief Public Attorney

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| parent_department = Department of Justice

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The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) of the Philippines is the public defender for all courts in the Philippines. It also provides other legal services to the poor. According to its mission statement it exists to provide to the poor "free access to courts, judicial and quasi-judicial agencies, by rendering legal services, counselling(sic) and assistance..."{{cite web |title=Public Attorneys Office Vision and Mission |url=https://pao.gov.ph/page.php?id=191 |website=pao.gov.ph |access-date=11 February 2024}}

It is an attached agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ). It is led by the Chief Public Attorney Persida Acosta,{{cite web |title=Public Attorneys Office Profile of Chief Public Attorney |url=https://pao.gov.ph/page.php?id=20 |website=pao.gov.ph |access-date=11 February 2024}} who was appointed to the position on February 23, 2001 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

History

PAO was previously known as the Citizen's Legal Assistance Office (CLAO) which was created as a body under the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 1972 under the Integrated Reorganization Plan. It is mandated to provide free legal assistance to indigent people.{{cite news |last1=Torres-Tupas |first1=Tetch |title=Please spare PAO from politics, Persida Acosta pleads |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1578230/please-spare-pao-from-politics-persida-acosta-pleads |access-date=31 October 2024 |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=4 April 2022 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Request of the Public Attorney's Office to Delete Section 22, Canon III of the Proposed Code of Professional Responsibility And Accountability |url=https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/1/69023 |website=Supreme Court E-Library |access-date=31 October 2024}}

In 2006, the CLAO was renamed as the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) through Republic Act 9406. The renamed body retained its mandate.{{cite news |last1=Damicog |first1=Jeffrey |title=PAO does not collaborate with private lawyers in handling court cases |url=https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/2/pao-does-not-collaborate-with-private-lawyers-in-handling-court-cases |access-date=31 October 2024 |work=Manila Bulletin |date=2 September 2024 |language=en}}

Chief Public Attorneys

The PAO is headed by the Chief Public Attorney whose tenure is not defined by law.{{cite web |last1=Buan |first1=Lian |title=In Numbers: Public Attorney's Office under Acosta |url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/244087-public-attorney-office-in-numbers-persida-acosta/ |publisher=Rappler |access-date=31 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105092119/https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/244087-public-attorney-office-in-numbers-persida-acosta/ |archive-date=5 November 2019 |date=4 November 2019}}

Portrait ! width="150px" \| Secretary ! width="120px" \| Took office ! width="120px" \| Left office ! President ! Ref.
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border:1px #aaf solid;"
rowspan="4" \| 142x142px \| rowspan="4" \| Persida Acosta \| rowspan="4" \| February 23, 2001 \| rowspan="4" \| incumbent \| Gloria Macapagal Arroyo \| rowspan="4" \|
Benigno Aquino III
Rodrigo Duterte
Bongbong Marcos

References

External links

{{official|https://pao.gov.ph}}

Category:Department of Justice (Philippines)

Category:Public defense institutions

Category:1972 establishments in the Philippines