Members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Central Luzon on Wednesday asked senatorial aspirant Raffy Tulfo to stop maligning the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) just to woo voters.
In a statement, the IBP-Central Luzon chapter, led by its governor Peter Paul Maglalang, said PAO has been doing its job well to assist its indigent clients, and that they could attest to the truth that PAO has never failed to appear before inquest proceedings.
Maglalang, vice governor Leonardo Bernabe and IBP-Cagayan chapter president Girlie Cuntapay backed PAO chief Persida Acosta’s demand of public apology from Tulfo.
“Clearly, Mr. Tulfo’s statements are misleading. He disregarded those readily available data to paint a backdrop that would justify the structure of his program, in which he, not being a member of the bar, interprets legal issues according to his whims,” Maglalang said.
“We take this opportunity to highlight the sacrifices of the 203 public attorneys in Central Luzon and the rest of all public attorneys in the country who, at the height of COVID-19 pandemic, have continuously risked their own health and safety as well as of their families to ensure that a PAO lawyer is available 24/7 to render inquest and custodial investigation assistance,” the group’s statement read.
Acosta hit Tulfo for accusing the PAO lawyers of absenteeism during inquest proceedings of those accused.
“The entire employees and officials of PAO are demanding a genuine and public apology from Mr. T for his hasty generalization about the performance of our public lawyers whom he claimed have been remiss in attending inquest proceedings, among others,” she said.