Following a P19.5-million budget cut to its budget, the Public Attorney’s Office on Monday announced the temporary suspension of its forensic activity.
At a media briefing, PAO chief Persida Acosta reiterated her appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte to veto a provision in the General Appropriations Act for 2020 slashing the P19.5-million budget for its Forensic Laboratory Division.
Lawyer Erwin Erfe, the designated director of the PAO Forensic Laboratory, said they decided to suspend their forensic activity pending a decision of the President whether to veto or not the provision deleting the budget for the forensic laboratory division’s equipment and the prohibition for the use of PAO’s MOOE expenses for operations.
“We will leave the future of the PAO Forensic Laboratory in the hands of the President,” Erfe said.
“Not to some members of the House of Representatives and Senate who protect the interest of their principals and clients by orchestrating the de-funding of the laboratory, disabling it and preventing the PAO forensic laboratory from helping the poor and the victims of crime.”
Acosta maintained the constitutionality of their forensic laboratory department composed of plantilla personnel.
She said the budget cut was violative of Article Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution.
She said Section 9 of the Anti-Torture Act giving PAO the power to investigate torture cases.