Public Attorney's Office (Philippines)
Public defender in Philippines courts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) 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".[2]
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- Persida Acosta, Chief Public Attorney
| |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 23, 1972 as Citizen's Legal Assistance Office |
| Jurisdiction | Philippines |
| Employees | 3,518 (2024)[1] |
Agency executive |
|
Parent department | Department of Justice |
| Website | pao |
It is an attached agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ). It is led by chief public attorney Persida Acosta,[3] 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.[4][5]
In 2006, the CLAO was renamed as the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) through Republic Act 9406. The renamed body retained its mandate.[6]
List of chief public attorneys
PAO is headed by the chief public attorney, whose tenure is not defined by law.[7]
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Office | President | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reynold Fajardo | 1975 | 1997 | Citizens' Legal Assistance Office | Ferdinand Marcos | ||
| Corazon Aquino | ||||||
| Fidel V. Ramos | ||||||
| Joseph Estrada | ||||||
-Persida_Acosta.jpg) |
Persida Acosta | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | ||||
| February 23, 2001 | incumbent | Public Attorney's Office | [3] | |||
| Benigno Aquino III | ||||||
| Rodrigo Duterte | ||||||
| Bongbong Marcos | ||||||
