OVER the years, millions of Filipinos – especially indigents and underprivileged – have been continuously relying on the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) for its free legal services along with its reach-out programs, making it their principal ally in their quest for justice and public service.
Citing its January-September 2025 records, PAO’s lawyers and support personnel have served a total of 11, 180, 33 people and handled 756, 497 cases across the country.
To compare with PAO’s 2024 accomplishment report which involved 15, 069, 235 total number of clients, mostly poor, who’re assisted by the agency while the cases it handled reached 847, 317, its 2025 record could even surpass it once the figure for the last quarter is included, PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said.
Obtaining a favorable disposition rate of 89.98percent in criminal cases, the country’s principal government agency that caters to the legal needs especially of indigent Filipinos was also responsible for the release of some 87, 577 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in partnership with the Department of Justice and another attached agency, the Parole and Probation Administration.
Emerging as the most trusted among the justice sector and professionals based on a survey conducted by the Social Weather Station in 2021, PAO has been maximizing its ample resources to reach out to the people who have no access to justice, the chief public attorney said.
From the traditional mode of providing legal advice and assistance to walk-in clients and hotline callers, PAO has launched its own online program called #PALA (Persida Acosta’s Legal Advice) being aired on Facebook and uploaded on various social media platforms.
Deputy Chief Public Attorney Erwin Erfe also cited the agency’s engagement with First Lady Marie Louise ‘Liza’ Araneta-Marcos’ “Lab for All” caravan wherein more Filipinos have been availing of its various free government services including legal matters.
Moreover, PAO has regularly been conducting seminars and training programs to enhance the capability, knowledge and professional skills of its workforce particularly its public lawyers, Deputy Chief Public Attorney Ana Lisa Soriano said.
Rueda-Acosta stressed that the continued trust of the people on PAO could be attributed to its three guiding parameters – transparency, accountability and empowerment.
She’s admitted that she’s been doubly inspired in doing her job as PAO chief for over two decades mainly due to the trust and confidence given by the people to her and PAO over the years.
Ultimately, she pointed to God for guiding her and saving her through the years to serve the PAO clients with honesty, credibility and integrity.
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