Ex-PAO lawyers seek release of P139-M retirement pay

A group of retired public lawyers yesterday sought court relief against the refusal of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release their retirement benefits amounting to P139 million.

In a 52-page petition, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) retirees asked the Quezon City regional trial court to compel outgoing DBM Secretary Florencio Abad to release their benefits.

The former PAO lawyers, led by Elpidio Bacuyag, also asked the court to strike down an opinion of the DBM legal office stating that their retirement benefits should be based on average of their salaries during service with the agency.

The petitioners, who are now senior citizens, also sought payment of P800,000 in exemplary and moral damages.

They questioned the disparity in the retirement benefits of PAO lawyers and prosecutors of the Department of

Justice (DOJ) when they were supposedlevel under to Republicbe in the Act same 9406 (Public Attorney’s Office Reorganization Act of 2007) and Republic Act 11071 (National Prosecution Service Law).

The petitioners, who worked in the government from 20 to 36 years, also questioned the move of the DBM to refer the issue to the DOJ.

“We are relying on our retirement benefits to support

our needs for sustenance – utilities, food and medicine,” they lamented.

The DBM withheld the benefits of the retired PAO lawyers despite resolutions issued by the House committee on justice and Senate finance panel last January supporting the release of their retirement pay.

Former Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Teddy Casiño, author of the PAO law, urged the DBM to release the benefits of the retired public lawyers.