PAO lawyers told: Give your best to poor clients

PUBLIC Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta on Tuesday challenged the 359 new members of the agency to give their best on a 24/7 basis in serving indigent clients and to never “shortchange” them.

”You have desired to be part of PAO, and you are not here to stay in office and work just eight hours a day. Being a PAO worker, being a public attorney, we are committed to work here beyond that time; it must be 24/7,” Rueda-Acosta said after officiating the mass oath-taking ceremony held at the Bayview Hotel in Manila.

The oath-taking rite was followed by an orientation seminar that will culminate on January 24.

Rueda-Acosta said that their work includes legal counseling, attending hearings, doing judicial affidavits and jail visitation, among others.

”This is work and sacrifice, but we can say it’s pleasurable when you are enjoying and serving the indigent Filipinos with a smile,” the PAO chief said.

”Never get irked when you are assigned to carry out such tasks because that’s the reason why you are receiving a higher salary aside from other financial benefits,” the chief public attorney said.

She reiterated that the PAO people must deliver their best to the public “because we value them and the mandate that has been entrusted to us.”

“This is also the best way of giving honor to our calling as public attorneys and public servants, and of recognizing our clients’ rights, recognizing our collective efforts which have contributed greatly in making PAO as we know it today,” she said.

She said that the misconception that PAO lawyers did not exercise due diligence in handling cases of nonpaying indigents is a thing of the past.

Rueda-Acosta then assured them that the agency under her leadership would be fully supportive of them as long as they did their job well.

“This orientation seminar is proof that you will not be sent to the woods, to the forest unprepared. Here at PAO, you will not be abandoned,” she said.

Those who took their oaths were 91 new public attorneys, 49 promoted public lawyers and 121 others given permanent status.

A newly appointed public attorney gets a take-home pay of over P100,000 monthly with Salary Grade 25, aside from numerous monetary incentives, including the special inquest allowance and transportation allowance, among others.