Retired PAO lawyers to DBM: Release our benefits

A group of retired public attorneys yesterday decried the refusal of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release their retirement benefits totaling P139 million.

Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said the 40 retirees – including two former PAO lawyers who have died – have not received their benefits since 2010 following the enactment of Republic Act 11071 (Prosecution Service Act), which supposedly set the retirement packages of prosecutors.

Acosta said the DBM refused to release the benefits after its legal office came up with an opinion that the benefits of PAO lawyers should be based on average of their salaries during service – unlike the prosecutors whose benefits are based on their salary upon retirement.

The DBM also believed that RA 11071 only applies to prosecutors and that the retirement benefits of PAO lawyers should be lower.

She, however, invoked Republic Act 9406 ( Public Attorney’s Office Reorganization Act of 2007), which increased their salaries and benefits to be at par with the prosecutors.

“Should the supposed DBM legal opinion prevail over the law?” Acosta said.

The PAO chief also cited the resolutions issued by both the House committee on justice and Senate committee on finance last January calling on the DBM to pay the retired public attorneys their benefits.

–