ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORTOF THE PUBLIC ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

For the Period Covering January to December 2011

PREFATORY STATEMENT

In support and compliance with the rule of law, access to justice, andgovernance framework, strategies and principles of H. E. President Benigno S.Aquino III’s Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016, this annual reportreflects, among other things, the performance and accomplishments of the PublicAttorney’s Office (PAO) covering the period from January to December 2011. Itspeaks of the unwavering discharge of the office of its mandated duty, pursuant to theConstitution, Republic Act No. 9406 (PAO Law), and the reason for its existence,which is to provide free access to courts and legal assistance for the benefit of theindigent litigants, the oppressed, marginalized and underprivileged members of thesociety.

This principal legal aid office of the government, in faithful compliance with itsassigned task, has carried out the performance of every measure for the furtherenhancement of its service to the public. To ensure that justice is served to all, inconsonance with its coordinated effort with different government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the PAO, upon the request of the said parties,has entered into a Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) aimed at providing free legalassistance not only to the qualified employees of the said government agencies butalso to the people within the realm of these agencies’ mandated duties and theseNGOs’ advocacies.

Among the government agencies with whom the office has an existingMemorandum of Agreement (MOA) or with whom the latter is committed to serveby virtue of a directive from the Department of Justice (DOJ) are the PhilippineNational Police (PNP), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department ofLabor and Employment (DOLE), National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC),Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas WorkersWelfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Social Welfare andDevelopment (DSWD), the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) andan organization of local government executives, the League of Municipalities of thePhilippines (LMP). Evidently, this is a major accomplishment, in furtherance ofserving justice to those who are in need of its services.

In order to further extend its services, the Public Attorney’s Office has alsoentered into a Memorandum of Agreement with several non-governmentalorganizations, the latest of which are with the Ateneo Law School Legal ServicesCenter (ALS-LSC), Ateneo de Manila Law Alumni Association, Inc. (ALAAI), theSantuario de San Antonio Parish (SDSAP); and the Media Office of the CatholicBishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The noble goal of the said

Republika ng PilipinasKagawaran ng Katarungan

Tanggapan ng Manananggol Pambayan(PUBLIC ATTORNEY’S OFFICE)

DOJ Agencies Building, NIA Rd. cor. East Ave. 1104 Diliman, Quezon CityTelephone Nos. 929-90-10/929-94-36; FAX Nos. 927-68-10/ 926-28-78

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memoranda is the mutual cooperation of the parties for the advancement of thewelfare of the qualified clients as well as giving free legal education to the public.Under the principle of collaboration and mutual cooperation with NGOs andreligious groups, again, this is a major accomplishment of the office in making itsservices obtainable by those who are in need.

The Filipino people could really say now that justice is available to them byreason of the efforts being carried out by the PAO to make its services moreaccessible. Juan De la Cruz has no longer any reason to say that he does not know thelaw in view of the enhancement in the service being undertaken by the office. Newdistrict offices were opened, radio program appearances of public attorneys,attendance in symposiums/seminars as resource person/speakers, PAO 24/7 hotline,different publications, TV show “Public Atorni” and PAO website are maintained.These endeavors, which are compliant with the PDP (2011-2016), are clearly for themain purpose of making the services of the Office available and accessible to thepublic.

It is of great pride that the Public Attorney’s Office could say that as part of theAlternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) matrix in Chapter 7 (Good Governance) ofthe said PDP, its program of conducting mediation and conciliation is very successful.Corollary thereto, the office has strengthened the said program as part of its quasi-judicial service. The Office’s procedure for mediation and conciliation was amendedin order to make it more effective in resolving the controversy being proferred by theparties. Unquestionably, this mediation and conciliation conducted by the office willaid the court in de-clogging its dockets.

Although not asking for any recognition in return for all the hard work it hasdone in complying with its constitutional mandate and reason for existence, thePublic Attorney’s Office and the Chief Public Attorney received several awards andrecognition from various organizations. While it is of great honor, the PublicAttorney’s Office will never be satisfied and will continue to serve the public untiljustice is served to those who deserve it and will always be a government institutiondutiful to its mandate toward the attainment of the “Matuwid na Landas Program” ofH. E. President Benigno S. Aquino III.

I. THE OFFICE

Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9406, entitled “An Act Reorganizing andStrengthening the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Amending for the PurposeExecutive Order No. 292 Otherwise Known as the Administrative Code of 1987,”was passed by the 13th Congress, where H. E. President Aquino was then anillustrious member of the House of Representatives and signed into law on March 23,2007. R.A. No. 9406 established the PAO as an independent and autonomousOffice attached to the Department of Justice for the purpose of policy and programcoordination. It maintains its Central Office at the DOJ Agencies Building, NIARoad corner East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, an edifice allotted for variousagencies under the Department of Justice. The regional and district/sub-districtoffices, on the other hand, are strategically located nationwide responding to indigentclients from 80 provinces, 138 cities, 1,496 municipalities and 42,026 barangayswhich are in dire need of legal assistance.

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At present, the PAO has 17 regional offices, 287 district and 8 sub-districtoffices. Most of the offices are situated at the Halls of Justice nationwide along withthe courts and other offices involved in the administration of justice. However, somedistrict offices are housed at rented office spaces like the PAO-Manila District Office,etc.

II. PAO LAWYERS, THE REGIONAL AND DISTRICT OFFICES,AND THE COURTS

As of December 2011, the PAO has 1,533 public attorneys, 1,449 of whomare actively handling criminal and civil cases before 2,197 courts and quasi-judicialcases before quasi-judicial bodies nationwide, and about 42 of them devotethemselves on appealed cases before the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court andthe Office of the President. However, handling of criminal and civil cases andrepresentation of clients in courts as above-stated are only parts of the functions of thepublic attorneys. They also render non-judicial services and handle such other limitedand special services as shown hereafter.

Below is a table indicating the number of existing offices and assigned lawyersin each region as of December 2011:

REGIONDISTRICT / SUB-

DISTRICT OFFICESPUBLIC

ATTORNEYSCentral Office 103

National Capital Region 16 276

Cordillera Administrative Region 11, 1 (sub-district) 51I

Ilocos Region 21 87

IICagayan Valley

13 65

IIICentral Luzon 25, 1 (sub-district) 95

IV-ACALABARZON 33 117

IV-BMIMAROPA

11 45

VBicol Region

19 62

VIEastern Visayas 18 116

VIICentral Visayas

21, 1 (RSACU) 87

VIIIWestern Visayas

24 88

IX-AARMM 2, 1 (sub-district) 32

IX-BZamboanga Peninsula

14, 1 (satellite office) 58

XNorthern Mindanao 18, 2 (sub-district) 86

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XIDavao Region

11 59

XIISOCCSKSARGEN 11, 1 (satellite office) 62

XIIICARAGA 11 44

TOTAL 287 1,533

The establishment of district offices in different regions of the countrycomplements the agency’s mission to provide litigants free access to courts, judicialand quasi-judicial agencies by rendering legal assistance. The PAO envisions theestablishment of adequate district offices to enhance the accessibility of services of thePAO, in order that justice could efficiently be delivered in spite of geographicalfragmentation.

For the first semester of the year 2011, the PAO created two (2) district offices,the Plaridel, Bulacan District Office located in Region III and the Banaybanay,Davao Oriental District Office in Region XI. For the second semester, the Officecreated (5) district offices in Kawit, Cavite and the City of Dasmariñas, Cavite, both inthe CALABARZON Region; Itogon, Benguet in the Cordillera Autonomous Region(CAR); Pateros in the National Capital Region (NCR); and the re-opened SioconDistrict Office in Region 9-B.

III. SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

A. CLIENTS ASSISTED AND CASES HANDLED

The statistical figures below show the total number of indigent clients assistedand the total number of cases handled by the PAO and its proportionate relation tothe 1,449 lawyers who are actively handling criminal, civil and quasi-judicial cases forthe periods covering January to December 2011.

Total No. of Clients Assisted 5,835,027

Total No. of Cases Handled 680,858

Average No. of Clients Assisted by Each Lawyer 3,806

Average No. of Cases Handled by Each Lawyer 470

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B. ACQUITTALS/DISMISSAL OF CASES AND OTHER FAVORABLEDISPOSITIONS

In spite of their overwhelming case loads, the public attorneys ably representedindigent accused in court and facilitated the release and favorable disposition of casesfor indigent clients of PAO, by their acquittals, dismissal of cases, or for some otherreasons, their cases were favorably disposed of, as shown in the graph above.

The graph above shows the figures of acquittals, dismissal and other favorabledispositions for the accused in criminal cases for the period covering January toDecember 2011, totaling 173,572.

C. WINNING AND APPEALED CASES

For criminal cases alone, a total of 147 favorable decisions were obtained forthe year 2011. The table below shows the breakdown of figures, to wit:

Acquittals from Reclusion Perpetua 72Acquittals from Reclusion Temporal 75TOTAL 147

Aside from criminal cases, the Special and Appealed Cases Service (SACS)also handles civil and special cases such as appeals from the decision of NLRC, SSSand GSIS. In those cases handled, a total of 187 favorable dispositions were obtainedby PAO-SACS from January to December 2011.

D. OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR INMATES: NATIONWIDE LAWYERS’JAIL VISITATION & THE PAO-CENTRAL OFFICE LEGAL AND

MEDICAL JAIL VISITATION AND DECONGESTION PROGRAM

For the period covering January to December 2011, the public attorneysnationwide were able to render legal assistance to 478,094 inmates. The breakdown isstated below, to wit:

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NATIONWIDE LAWYERS’ JAIL VISITATION

No. of Inmates Interviewed 233,874No. of Inmates Provided with Legal Assistance 244, 220

Total 478,094

This outreach program for inmates has been strengthened by the PAO-CentralOffice Legal, Medical, Dental and Optical Jail Visitation Program. With priorapproval of the then Hon. Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzales, this program wasstarted in 2007 and has been continuously conducted in various jails in thePhilippines, by the legal and medical teams from the Central Office, being led by theChief Public Attorney. The district offices that are nearest to the said jails are alsomaking simultaneous and/or separate visits therein. The table below shows the outputof the project for the period covering January to December 2011, to wit:

LEGAL AND MEDICAL JAIL DECONGESTION PROGRAM - 2011

VISITED JAIL DATE LEG

NO. OFBENEFICIARIES

FOR LEGALASSISTANCE

(ADVICE)

NO. OFBENEFICIARIESFOR MEDICALASSISTANCE

NO. OFBENEFICIARIESFOR DENTALASSISTANCE

TOTAL NO.OF

INMATESRELEASED

1 Makati City JailJanuary28, 2011 1ST

43 140 36 401

2 Pasay City Jail 81 119 24 941

3 MandaluyongCity Jail

February14, 2011 2ND 35 135 26

254December8, 2011 16TH 105 114

4 Taguig City Jail February14, 2011 2ND 112 187 29 0

5 San PedroMunicipal Jail

February15, 2011 3RD

55 21 0 0

6 Biñan MunicipalJail 35 54 0 186

7 Calamba CityJail 57 138 0 99

8 LagunaProvincial Jail February

16, 2011 4TH61 271 0 571

9 SiniloanMunicipal Jail 5 5 0 127

10 Teresa DistrictJail

March 4,2011 5TH

65 65 0 0

11 Tanay MunicipalJail 67 67 0 267

12 Binangonan(lock-up) Jail 15 15 0 337

13 Binangonan Jail(BJMP) 19 19 0 0

14 Antipolo CityJail 47 47 0 0

15 MorongMunicipal Jail 23 23 0 25

16 Marikina CityJail March 5,

2011 6TH51 51 0 463

17 San MateoMunicipal Jail 63 63 0 0

18 CAMP KaringalCity Jail May 13,

2011 8TH114 254 25

57919 Quezon City Jail 128 149 25

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20 QC Female Dorm(Camp Karingal) October

17, 2011 13TH172 207

21 QC Jail (EDSA –Kamuning) 223 268

22 Manila City Jail(Male dorm)

June 4,2011 9TH

196 260 37 80

23 Manila City Jail(Female dorm) 138 226 33 30

24 Manila YouthReception 40 104 24 10

25 Manila City Jail(Male Dorm)

November29, 2011 14TH

178 219 33 90

26 Manila City Jail(Female Dorm) 72 193 28 25

27Manila YouthReceptionCenter

49 470 13 20

28 Pasig City Jail June 14,2011 10TH

224 182 27 42

29 Camp CrameCustodial Center 6 43 2 0

30 NBP ( MaximumSecurity Comp.) June 23,

2011 11TH103 191 17

93531 NBP ( Medium

Security Comp.) 93 207 21

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NBP (Social andInfirmary OfMaximumSecurityCompound)

August18, 2011 12TH 38 167 31 0

33MaximumSecurityCompound December

2, 2011 15th133 139 0

34 Medium SecurityCompound 222 100 0

35CorrectionalInstitution forWomen

December8, 2011 16th 369 301 20

TOTAL 3,332 5,100 521 5,179

E. LEGAL/INQUEST PROCEEDINGS ASSISTANCE

On their scheduled duties, the public attorneys and staff of the PAO-CentralOffice have alternately been providing legal counseling and inquest proceedingsassistance even during night time, weekends and holidays since October 2009. Forthis purpose, the PAO hotline, 929-9436, is open to the public 24/7.

In September 2010, the coverage of this program was widened for the benefitof the people that are being served by the regional and district offices of the PAOnationwide. Since then, the said offices have been rendering legal assistance (e.g. legaladvice, attending to the legal needs of suspects in the police stations within theterritorial jurisdiction of the concerned PAO regional/district offices) up to 10:00p.m. everyday (including weekends and holidays) but even after 10:00 p.m. theassigned PAO inquest public attorneys and staff therein remain on call during theirrespective scheduled duties to attend to such inquest in the said police stations.

A total of 14,681 clients benefited from the services provided by the PAOconsisting of inquest assistance, legal advice/counseling and documentation at theabove duty stations covering the period January to December 2011.

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IV. CASE LOAD STATISTICAL REPORT AND ACCOMPLISHMENT

For the year 2011, the PAO handled a total of 433,205 criminal cases,comprising of 180,297 newly received cases and 252,908 carry over from the previousyear.

Out of the 164,282 terminated criminal cases from January to December2011, there were 128,924 cases favorably disposed of or a 78.48% favorabledisposition obtained by the Public Attorneys assigned to handle the same.

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As shown in the graphic presentation, Region 3, Region 4-A and the NationalCapital Region where the bulk of criminal cases were filed are the regions whichobtained the highest favorable disposition rates of 27.12%, 19.66% and 17.32%,respectively.

For the year 2011, the PAO handled a total of 52,411 civil cases includingnewly received and carried over cases. During the same period, a total of 16,122 caseswere terminated.

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The PAO handled a total of 8,132 administrative cases consisting of 5,992carry-over cases and 2,140 newly received cases for the same period. A total of 1,457cases were terminated.

At the Prosecutor’s level, the office handled a total of 57,319 cases, 26,258 ofwhich were newly received and 31,061 were carried over from the previous year. Outof the said total number of cases, 23,499 were terminated.

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In labor cases for the same period, the PAO was able to handle a total of21,091 complaints, 4,590 of which were disposed of.

The Office also renders mediation and conciliation services as part of its quasi-judicial function. For the period covering January to December 2011, it handled atotal of 374,880 disputes for conciliation and mediation and resolved a total of262,675 disputes.

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The Office has extended limited services to accused in criminal cases on

arraignment, pre-trial, promulgation of sentence and in other stages of the case. Itassisted for the same services a total of 835,688 accused.

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The Office was able to render non-judicial services such as legaldocumentation, counseling and administration of oaths to 3,169,474 clients.

In the barangay outreach activities conducted by the Office from January toDecember 2011, it assisted a total of 177,225 clients.

Under Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9262, otherwise known as the Anti-ViolenceAgainst Women and their Children Act and Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9344, otherwise

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known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare System Act, as well as the subsequentpertinent issuances, the PAO is specifically mandated by the law to extend legalassistance to women and their children who are victims of violence and to facilitatethe release of minor offenders from jail, particularly those who were fifteen (15) yearsold or below at the time of the alleged commission of the crime.

To this mandated task, the PAO has continuously given special attention to thecause of women and children in so far as the criminal justice system is concerned.

The graphs below show the number of women and children assisted by thePAO for the year 2011.

From January to December of 2011, the Office handled a total of 80,968 and17,367 cases involving women and CICL, respectively.

The above data show that the PAO successfully exceeded and surpassed itstarget for the year 2011.

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Out of the 34,924 terminated cases involving women from January toDecember 2011, there were 22,397 cases favorably disposed of or a 64.13% favorabledisposition obtained by the Public Attorneys assigned to handle the same.

The highest rates of favorable disposition were obtained by Region 3 with29.01%, Region 4-A with 22.80% and National Capital Region with 10.39%.

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For the same period, a total of 5,809 cases involving children in conflict withthe law were terminated, 3,549 cases or 61.09% of which were favorably disposed of.

Out of the 61.09% favorable dispositions involving CICLs, the Top 3 regionswhich obtained the highest rates are the CALABARZON Region with 31.90%,National Capital Region with 29.59% and Central Luzon with 13.27%.

It is humbly submitted that the above data manifest and indicate thecontinuous trust and faith of the people in the performance of the agency.

It is viewed that when the agency performs its duties and responsibilities withthe highest standard of efficiency and dedication, it gives its humble share inconverting and transforming public apathy and chaos into trust and faith to thecriminal justice system and ultimately to the entire administration.

V. THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF PUBLIC ATTORNEY

A. The Office of the Chief Public Attorney signed/answered 55,615communications from January to December 2011;

B. The Office of the Chief Public Attorney served 17,073 clients during thisperiod;

C. The Chief Public Attorney received the following prestigious awards, to wit:

1. Katibayan ng Pagkilala (Plaque of Recognition) from Isumbong Mo KayTulfo!, DZIQ (Radyo Inquirer), December 23, 2011, Ortigas, Pasig City;

2. Plaque of Recognition for the free legal advice daily column in Bulgar entitled,

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“Magtanong Kay Attorney”, from the national & international daily tabloid,Bulgar, December 17, 2011, Quezon City;

3. Achievement in Public Service Award from the Filipino Academy of MovieArts and Sciences (FAMAS), December 10, 2011, National Commission forCulture and the Arts (NCCA), Manila;

4. Citation for Public Service for “Public Atorni” from FAMAS, December 10,2011, NCCA, Manila;

5. Best Public Service Program Host awarded by the Philippine Movie Press Club(PMPC) during the 25th Star Awards for Television 2011, November 22, 2011,Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World, Manila. (This is inconnection with the mediation and conciliation activities of the PAO, beingcovered as reality mediation show entitled, “Public Atorni” being aired on TV5and Aksyon TV.);

6. 2011 Most Outstanding Public Servant Award from the Gawad AmerikaFoundation, given during the 10th Annual Gawad Amerika Awards, November5, 2011, Celebrity Center, Los Angeles, California;

7. Special Citation for Best Public Service Program for “Public Atorni” during the33rd Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA), on Oct. 19, 2011 at the SanCarlos Seminary Auditorium, EDSA, Guadalupe, Makati City;

8. Dean of the College of Law Alumni Honor Roll Award for 2011 from theUniversity of the East College of Law, awarded on September 30, 2011,Century Park Hotel, Malate, Manila;

9. Living Positively Award (Plaque of Recognition) from the Coca-Cola ExportCorporation, Inc. and Woman Today, for espousing the “Living Positively”advocacy campaign, and for embodying the ideals of women empowerment,given on May 10, 2011 at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City; and

10. Plaque of Merit awarded by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), May9, 2011, NBI Head Office, Manila.

D. The Chief Public Attorney attended the following local trainings and seminarsand served as resource person, thereto:

1. Convenor, Lecturer/Speaker, 4th MCLE Accredited National Convention ofPublic Attorneys, December 12-16, 2011, Tent City, Manila Hotel, Manila;

2. Speaker, Supreme Court’s “Anti-Illegal Drugs Forum”, November 14, 2011,Philippine International Convention Center (PICC);

3. Lecturer (on “Ethics in Professional Practice”), 1st Dr. Angel R. de LeonMemorial Lecture, September 29, 2011, West Visayas State University Collegeof Medicine, La Paz, Iloilo City;

4. Lecturer, Lecture on “Ethical Practices in the Legal Profession”, September 29,2011, University of Iloilo College of Law, Iloilo City;

5. Guest Speaker, Philippine Councilors League’s (PCL) 3rd Quarterly NationalExecutive Officers and National Board Meeting/Continuing Local LegislativeEducation Program (CLLEP), September 15, 2011, Bohol Cultural Center,Tagbilaran City;

6. Lecturer, Re-Orientation and Re-Organization of Barangay Council for theProtection of Children, June 27, 2011, University of Rizal System, Tanay, Rizal;

7.Panelist/Reactor, Multi-Sectoral Seminar Workshop on Agrarian Justice, andconducted by the Agrarian Justice Foundation Inc., February 4, 2011 at L’FisherHotel, Bacolod City.

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E. The Chief Public Attorney/Office of the Chief Public Attorney personally led andhandled the following cases and/or rendered legal assistance to the followingindividuals, to wit:

1. The 71 civil cases filed by the PAO against Sulpicio Lines, Inc. (SLI) onbehalf of the victims of the M/V Princess of the Stars maritime tragedy, are oncontinuous trial at RTC-Branch 51, Manila; same with the 64 civil cases filedagainst SLI at RTC-Branch 10, Cebu City. The criminal case for RecklessImprudence is also ongoing at RTC-Branch 5, Manila;

2. In connection with the request of the wives of four (4) officials of the Bureau ofJail Management and Penelogy (BJMP) who were captured in the line of duty,the Chief Public Attorney requested the “Herminio Alfonso Command-Guerilla Front 53 Operations Command of the NPA-Southern Mindanao ofthe Prisoner of War”, through National Democratic Front (NDF) ChairmanLuis Jalandoni with the help of former Bayan Muna Partylist RepresentativeSatur Ocampo to facilitate the said captives’ ransom-free release.

On October 8, 2011, in the mountains of Cotabato, the Chief Public Attorneypersonally received the Release Orders issued by the Communist Party of thePhilippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) in favor of the said BJMPpersonnel, who were released unharmed and ransom-free.

In relation thereto, both the Secretary of the Department of the Interior andLocal Government (DILG), Hon. Jesse M. Robredo and Director of theBJMP, Hon. Rosendo M. Dial, CESO III, commended the Chief PublicAttorney for her role in the release of the said BJMP personnel.

3. The PAO Forensic Team went to Romblon in May and July 2011, and incooperation with divers from the Philippine Coast Guard, was able to retrievefifteen (15) human remains from the wrecked M/V Princess of the Stars, 70feet below sea level, off the coast of San Fernando, Sibuyan Island in theprovince of Romblon. This is in connection with the legal assistance which thePAO is giving to the relatives of the victims of the M/V Princess of the Starsmaritime tragedy, the latter being the clients of the PAO since June 2008;

4. Legal assistance to “Virgie”, who was allegedly raped on December 31, 2010,by a police officer of the Integrity Task Force of the Manila Police District(MPD). She was one of the three (3) women who were apprehended forVagrancy on that day by the said police officer. “Virgie” alleged that he tookher money amounting to P4,000.00 and sexually abused her before setting herfree. The MPD police officer was charged with Rape in March 2011, at theRegional Trial Court-Branch 20 in Manila; and

5. Mediation conducted between the thirteen (13) victims of a plane crash in LasPiñas City and Victoria Air Inc., the plane’s owner, which resulted to thepayment of ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) by the owner to each of the saidvictims on February 18, 2011. The 13 individuals who sought the legalassistance of PAO were the owners of residential houses that were either totallyor partially damaged by fire caused by a plane that crashed and explodedinside a compound at Villa Fidela Subdivision, Las Piñas on October 17, 2009.The fire spread to the congested residential area in Las Piñas City, where the

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houses of the 13 PAO clients were located. They sought the PAO’s legalassistance in May 2010.

F. MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PUBLICATTORNEY’S OFFICE AND THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSIONFOR THE URBAN POOR

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Public Attorney’s Office(PAO) and the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) wassigned for the said offices by PAO Chief Persida V. Rueda-Acosta and PCUPChairman and CEO Hernani B. Panganiban on December 21, 2011 at thePCUP National Office, Quezon City.

This MOA is in consonance with Administrative Order No. 265, Series of2009, mandating the PAO and PCUP to work together on programs andpolicies of providing free legal assistance to Metro Manila urban poor.

G. LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS OF TYPHOON SENDONG

The Chief Public Attorney, through Memorandum Order No. 293 datedDecember 19, 2011, directed the public attorneys of Northern Mindanao andDumaguete City to put up legal aid units at the evacuation centers within theterritorial jurisdiction of their respective districts.

By virtue of this directive, PAO was able to contribute in alleviating the plightof the victims of typhoon Sendong, to wit:

No. of typhoon Sendong victims whowere given legal assistance

1,884

No. of documents made 3,967

H. 4th MCLE ACCREDITED NATIONAL CONVENTION OF PUBLICATTORNEYS

The 4th MCLE Accredited National Convention of Public Attorneys wasconducted from December 12-16, 2011 at the Tent City of the Manila Hotel.

The said convention was held in compliance with Rule 2, Bar Matter No. 850of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, which states that members of theIntegrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) are required every three (3) years tocomplete at least thirty-six (36) hours of continuing legal education activitiesapproved by the MCLE Committee constituted by the Supreme Court. It wasalso conducted to empower the public attorneys and enhance their capacity indelivering high quality public service in consonance with Chapter 7 (GoodGovernance) of the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016.

The PAO has been an authorized MCLE provider since August 5, 2002.Every three (3) years, since 2003, the PAO has been providing its publicattorneys with the complete 36 unit-requirements without cost to its publicattorneys.

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I. PAO PARALEGAL PROGRAM

The PAO Paralegal Program was launched during PAO’s jail visitation at theQuezon City Jail on October 17, 2011. The 25 PAO employees, who had anOrientation on this outreach program for inmates on October 3, 2011 at thePAO-Central Office, attended to their very first paralegal duties during the saidlaunching.

This program is the PAO’s response and appropriate action to the request ofthe Secretary of the Department of the Interior and LocalGovernment/Chairperson of the Inter-Agency Executive Committee onPersons Deprived of Liberty, Hon. Jesse M. Robredo for the Chief PublicAttorney to institutionalize a Paralegal Program.

J. MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PUBLICATTORNEY’S OFFICE AND ATENEO LAW SCHOOL LEGALSERVICES CENTER, ET AL.

A MOA was signed relative to the Makati City Jail Decongestion Projectbetween and among the parties: the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), AteneoLaw School Legal Services Center (ALS-LSC), Ateneo de Manila Law AlumniAssociation, Inc. (ALAAI), Santuario de San Antonio Parish (SDSAP) onAugust 23, 2011 at the Ateneo de Manila University, Rockwell, Makati City.

K. MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN PAO AND CBCP

A MOA was signed by the Public Attorney’s Office and the Media Office ofthe Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), relative to theprogram “Batas ng Bayan,” information-education-communication modules forfree legal education and awareness for its audience here and abroad on August15, 2011 at the PAO-Central Office, Quezon City.

L. DRAFTING/REVISION OF PAO STANDARD OFFICE PROCEDURE/GUIDELINES

The Chief Public Attorney directed the Regional Public Attorneys and otherPAO officials to meet and formulate the “PAO Revised Standard Procedure inMediation and Conciliation” which, as mentioned in this Report’s PrefatoryStatement, is in consonance with PDP 2011-2016, which encourages andzealously promotes, among other advocacies, the use of ADR (Chapter 7-Good Governance). The said activity was conducted from June 30 to July 5,2011 in Quezon City.

This was followed by another meeting by the said PAO officials fromSeptember 10 to 17, 2011, to draft three (3) more guidelines, to wit:

1. Revised Standard Office Procedure in Extending Legal AssistanceDuring Custodial Investigation and Inquest Proceedings;

2. Standard Operating Procedure During Visitation in Jails andHolding Centers; and

3. Standard Operating Procedure in the Conduct of Barangay LegalInformation Dissemination and Outreach Program.

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The said procedures contain four (4) programs of the PAO, which have beenconducted since the time of the very first Chief Public Attorney, Hon. ReynoldS. Fajardo. The same have been revised to become more appropriate to thepresent needs of PAO clients and the demands of the fast changing timeswhich affect the work of PAO. (These guidelines became the PAO’s first four(4) Memorandum Circulars (MCs) in 2012; all signed by the Chief PublicAttorney last January 4, 2012.).

M. MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN PAO AND LMP

In connection with the request of the Honorable Strike B. Revilla, Mayor ofBacoor, Cavite and National President of the League of Municipalities of thePhilippines (LMP), on behalf of the LMP, to have a Memorandum ofAgreement with the PAO, such agreement was signed on June 30, 2011 inQuezon City. By virtue of this MOA, the PAO will provide and extend its freelegal assistance and court representation, subject to R.A. No. 9406, rules andregulations, to qualified constituents of any member municipalities of theLeague;

N. PAO-BJMP COOPERATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE INMATES

In view of the request of Chief Persida V. Rueda-Acosta on May 16, 2011 toBJMP Director Rosendo M. Dial to inform the PAO-Central Office or thenearest PAO district office under the following circumstances:

a. Whenever the inmates under the custody of jails and penal institutionsunder the BJMP suffer health emergencies or require hospitalization, for thefiling by the PAO of appropriate motions for proper treatment andhospitalization of said inmates to the nearest private or government hospital, asthe case may be;

b. Whenever based on existing records, an inmate has not yet beenarraigned for or more than a month since being arrested and/or has beenpreventively imprisoned pursuant to an order of commitment by the court, forthe filing by the PAO of appropriate motions to set case for arraignment;

c. Whenever an inmate has been overstaying for having served themaximum penalty imposable upon him, for appropriate filing by the PAO ofmotions for release pursuant to Article 29 of the Revised Penal Code,

Director Dial has issued a directive to all BJMP Regional Directors throughoutthe Philippines for the proper observance and strict compliance of the saidrequest.

O. MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE NATIONALCOMMISSION ON MUSLIM FILIPINOS

The Memorandum of Agreement pertains to the establishment of a youthparalegal program for the various Muslim Filipino communities in the country tobe known as the Muslim Community Youth Paralegal Program.

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The parties to this MOA are: 1. National Commission on Muslim Filipinos; 2.Department of Interior and Local Government; 3. Department of Justice; 4.Commission on Human Rights; 5. Public Attorney’s Office; 6. NationalProsecution Service; 7. Ateneo Human Rights Center; and, 8. Institute of IslamicStudies, University of the Philippines. In this MOA, the PAO commits to“provide materials and resource persons for the ‘Rights of the Accused’ topic” and“facilitate the internship of trainees” at PAO.

This MOA was signed by the abovementioned parties on April 15, 2011 at theSulo Hotel, Quezon City.

VII. THE CENTRAL OFFICE

A. CREATION OF THE PAO CHOIR

The PAO Choir was formed in July 2011. It is composed of 34 employeesfrom the different services/sections of the Central Office. Soothing and inspiringmelodies in pleasing harmony have been performed by the PAO Choir during flagceremony and other official programs of the Office, as it religiously renders thePhilippine National Anthem, PAO Hymn and other patriotic songs as well as well-loved Filipino ditties in the said activities.

VIII. THE REGIONAL/DISTRICT OFFICES

A. TYPHOON SENDONG VICTIMS AND RELATIVE ASSISTANCE BYPAO-NORTHERN MINDANAO REGION

On December 22, 23, 26-29, 2011, a total number of 1,884 victims of typhoonSendong were given legal assistance and 3,967 documents (e.g., affidavits of loss)were made in favor of the said clients by the PAO in Cagayan de Oro and IliganCity at the evacuation centers therein.

This is in connection with PAO Memorandum Order No. 293, Series of 2011,issued by the Chief Public Attorney on December 19, 2011.

B. HOSTAGE TAKING INCIDENT AND RELATIVE ASSISTANCE BYPAO-SAN JOSE, ANTIQUE DISTRICT OFFICE

Atty. Antonio Alcantara, Public Attorney III/OIC of PAO-San Jose, AntiqueDistrict Office was commended by DILG Secretary, the Honorable Jesse M.Robredo on September 7, 2011, for his “exemplary action which resulted in thepeaceful settlement of the hostage taking incident inside the San Jose District Jail,Municipality of San Jose, Province of Antique on August 25, 2011” (SecretaryRobredo’s letter-commendation dated September 7, 2011).

Atty. Alcantara volunteered to negotiate with the hostage-takers. This led to thepeaceful surrender of the hostage-takers.

C. HOSTAGE TAKING INCIDENT AND RELATIVE ASSISTANCE BYPAO-PATIN-AY, PROSPERIDAD DISTRICT OFFICE

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Atty. Marcelo R. Caupayan, Jr., Public Attorney III/District Public Attorney ofPAO-Patin-ay, Properidad, Agusan del Sur District Office, exercised with tenacityand patience when he performed his role as one of the members of the CrisisManagement Committee, in relation to the successful resolution of a hostage-takingincident in April 2011 in Agusan del Sur.

IX. ADMINISTRATIVE CONCERNS

The PAO, in the delivery of its mandated mission, is complemented by severaladministrative units, which render support role to its technical operations. For theperiod covering January to December 2011, the said units managed to carry outtheir respective functions / operations with utmost efficiency and dedication.

A. HUMAN RESOURCES

1. PERSONNEL COMPLEMENT

The table below shows the number of authorized, filled, and unfilled positionsin the PAO, to wit:

Authorized Filled UnfilledLawyers 1,536 1,533 3

Support Personnel 1,025 1,025 0Total 2,561 2,558 3

2. PERSONNEL MOVEMENT

While recruitment is high, the turn-over of PAO personnel especially itslawyers is likewise fast due primarily to these reasons: searching for greener pastures,hence their decision to engage in private practice, and transferring to othergovernment agencies where the workload is lighter. Promotions of PAO personnelare equally high due to the recognition of the employees’ dedication and commitmentto their respective assigned jobs.

The movement of personnel in the PAO is shown here below:

Lawyer Support Staff TotalRecruited 217 50 267Promoted 301 68 369

3. PERSONNEL ENHANCEMENT

The PAO has conducted series of seminars to enhance the capability,knowledge and professional skills of participants in order to mold them into efficientand truly competitive legal counsels and public servants.

It has been the practice of the Office to provide continuous seminars andtrainings to its personnel specifically lawyers to keep them abreast with the recentdevelopment in law and jurisprudence. Thus, ensuring the efficiency and capability ofthe public attorneys in protecting the rights of the oppressed and indigents.

Aside from trainings and seminars conducted by the office, lawyers andsupport personnel from the PAO have likewise attended other trainings, seminars,

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workshops and conferences upon invitation of other government and non-government organizations.

From January up to December 2011, there were about 77 seminars that wereattended by PAO personnel. The registered attendance thereto of public attorneyswas 1,723 and 58 for the support staff.

B. FINANCIAL RESOURCES

The approved appropriation for the Office for the year 2011 is Php1,270,681,000.00 of which Php 1,267,681,000.00 was released. SARO releasesamounted to Php 330,420,505.00 intended to cover funding for SSL 2 and 3,Productivity Enhancement Incentive, and salaries of newly created positions. Theamount of Php 11,938,861.00 was also released for the Terminal Leave benefits ofretired employees. Total obligations for FY 2011 amounted to Php 1,610,040,262.00.

C. LIBRARY SERVICES

The PAO, through its library services, envisions giving better and moreefficient means of assisting its clientele, the PAO lawyers, through modern andadvance information-assisted technology such as the Internet, modern fax machines,and telephone units for a fast transmission of output.

From January to December of 2011, a total of 1,039 copies of legal books andreference materials were purchased and distributed to all PAO regional and districtoffices nationwide. Likewise, the Office has an annual Lex Libris Bulletin yearlysubscription of compilation of laws, jurisprudence circulars, memoranda, etc., in acompact disc (CD) supplied by CD Technologies Asia Inc. for the use of the PAO-Central Office as well as its regional offices throughout the country. This includesthirteen (13) compact discs of various subject to wit:

1. Philippine Law Encyclopedia 20112. Laws Bulletins 2011.33. Jurisprudence 1901-20104. Jurisprudence Bulletins 2011.35. Local Autonomy & Local Government 20106. Department of Justice 20107. Labor and Social Legislation 20108. Environment and Natural Resources 20089. Trade, Commerce and Industry 200810.National Administrative Register 201011.Education Law and the Private Schools12.Family Law13.Philippine Judicial and Legal Forms

For the same period, the PAO Library, through its personnel, was able to collatea total of 493 news releases from fourteen (13) various broadsheets and tabloidswhich include, among others, the following:

The jail visitations conducted by the Public Attorney’s Office in various jails inMarikina, Binangonan, Taytay, San Mateo, Morong, Antipolo, Tanay, Baguio

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City, Mandaluyong, Taguig, Calamba, Biñan, Sta. Rosa, Pasig, Quezon City,Manila, Pasay, Muntinlupa, and National Bilibid Prison.

The 13th Annual Convention of Lawyers of the Integrated Bar of thePhilippines with the theme “Living up to the Standards of Integrity andCompetence in the Legal Profession”, held at the Subic Bay Exhibition andConvention Center, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo City, from April 7 to9, 2011.

The cases of M/V Princess of the Stars that sank on June 21, 2008 inRomblon. PAO is the legal counsel of the relatives of the victims.

The Vizconde Massacre case. Chief Public Attorney Persida V. Rueda-Acostaand some public attorneys assisted Mr. Lauro Vizconde in filing a Motion forReconsideration seeking a “re-deliberation of the high tribunal’s ruling” issuedon December14, 2010.

The hostage-taking incident in Agusan del Sur on April 1, 2011. The ChiefPublic Attorney and Atty. Marcelo R. Caupayan, Jr. had exercised the tenacityand patience to work closely with the Crisis Management Committee.

The launching of Youth Paralegal Program for Muslim Filipinos at the SuloHotel in Quezon City by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos(NCMF). The program formally known as the Muslim Community YouthParalegal Program (MCYPP) is projected to be implemented in partnershipwith the National Prosecution Service; the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO); theCommission on human Rights (CHR); the Ateneo Human Rights Center; andthe Institute on Islamic Studies of the UP Diliman, Quezon City. Theprogram was designed to respond to the needs of Muslim Filipinocommunities to avail of legal assistance.

The “Living Positively Award” given to the Chief Public Attorney Persida V.Rueda-Acosta for embodying the ideals of women empowerment andespousing “Living Positively” advocacy campaign given by the Coca ColaExport Corporation and the Woman Today at the SM Mall of Asia in PasayCity on May 2011.

The opening of PAO-Plaridel Bulacan District Office led by Chief PublicAttorney Persida V. Rueda-Acosta and Plaridel Mayor Anastacia Tessie Vistanto provide free legal services to Bulakenyos on May 2011.

The signing of Memorandum of Agreement between Ateneo Law SchoolLegal Services Center (ALS-LSC) and Ateneo Law Alumni Association, Inc.(ALAAI) and Public Attorney’s Office on August 23, 2011 as part of thecelebration of the School’s 75th anniversary. The project aims to help facilitatethe documentation and disposition of cases involving indigent inmates at theMakati City Jail. Under the agreement, PAO shall be responsible for thesmooth coordination with the BJMP for the determination and identificationof inmates who are under the custody of BJMP and are qualified for legalassistance.

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The “Honor Roll Award” given to the Chief Public Attorney Persida V.Rueda-Acosta by the UE College of Law marking UE’s 65th FoundationAnniversary on September 30, 2011 at Century Park Hotel.

The release of the four abducted BJMP personnel to Chief Persida V. Rueda-Acosta and Gov. Lala Taliño Mendoza on October 8, 2011 in NorthCotabato.

The Special Citation for Public Service Program “Public Atorni” given by theCatholic Mass Media Awards on October 19, 2011.

The “Outstanding Public Servant” award given to Chief Acosta by the GawadAmerika Annual Awards on November 5, 2011 at Celebrity CentreFoundation Hollywood, California.

The “Achievement in Public Service” award given to Chief Acosta by theFAMAS during its Gabi ng Parangal held at the Tanghalang Leandro LocsinTheater at the NCCA on December 10, 2011.

The “Fourth Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Accredited (MCLE)National Convention of Public Attorneys” at the historic landmark, ManilaHotel on December 12-16, 2011.

Through its tri-media linkages the PAO has continuously been rendering legaladvice to the general public through the “Say Mo Attorney?” column in People’sTonight tabloid, released every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; daily column“Dear PAO” in Manila Times and “Magtanong kay Attorney” in the Bulgar. A totalof 149 articles in “Say Mo Attorney?” , 359 articles in “Dear PAO” and 361 articlesin “Magtanong kay Attorney” were published and clipped into their respective files.In March 2011, the Chief Public Attorney opened a column entitled “Atorni First” inPinoy Parazzi, wherein a total of 72 articles had been published as of December2011.

D. OFFICE EQUIPMENT

For the period covering January to December 2011, the following officeequipment were purchased, to wit:

Air conditioner - 9 units Computer Monitor - 3 units Computer Printer - 14 units Desktop Computer - 3 unit Laptop Computer - 1 unit Biometric Time Recorder - 31 units Fax Machine - 1 unit Filing Cabinet - 42 units Steel Filing Cabinet and Index Card Cabinet - 19 units Office Chair

Executive Chair - 15 unitsSwivel - 24 units

Tables - 16 units Computer (CPU, monitor & accessories) and Table

(Note: These 460 units of computers were purchased- 475 pcs

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from the DBM Procurement Service in 2010 but weredelivered only in 2011)

LCD TV w/ DVD player - 7 units Two-way Radio - 10 pcs Electric Typewriter - 2 units Safety Vault - 1 unit Boom Microphone & Microphone Stand - 1 pc Dry Seal - 50 pcs

Since her assumption into office, it has been the battle cry of the Chief PublicAttorney to put into oblivion the traditional impression with public offices wherethere is a dearth of office supply and obsolete and/or worn out office equipment arein place. With the purchase of the foregoing office furnishings, such as chairs, filingcabinets, computer tables, scanners, computers, and posture chairs, PAO personnelwere able to perform their duties in a more office-friendly environment. Needless tosay, it somehow contributed to the continuously swelling public trust to the services ofthe PAO.

In addition, the computerization program of the office saw the continuousupgrading of existing computer units in order to cope up with the fast changing timesand technology.

X. TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

A. PAO-NLRC SUB-STATION

By virtue of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the PublicAttorney’s Office and the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) located atBanawe in Quezon City, the PAO maintains its sub-station at the NLRC to serve itsclients.

The sub-station facilitates the rendition of legal assistance to complainingworkers before the NLRC and aims to expedite the proceedings. Hence, it makes itsservices more accessible to these workers.

The efficiency of the office has been proven for years. For the period coveringJanuary to December 2011, a total of 5,776 clients were accommodated and givenlegal assistance.

B. RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATION

From January to December of 2011, the PAO, through the Legal ResearchService, had a total number of 1,916 research works that were duly accomplished.Out of 134 research works, 126 of them were published in newspapers of nationalcirculation. It included legal queries from the public which were either directlyaddressed or referred to the PAO. The sudden upsurge in the number of researchworks was brought about by the increasing public trust coupled with consistent tri-media linkages as means of education and information dissemination of the PAO.The accessibility of the Chief Public Attorney herself for public services has, for onereason, made a great difference.

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C. INTENSIFYING INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

Aside from its linkage to print media for public education and informationdissemination, the PAO has also cooperated with the broadcast media (radio andtelevision) to strengthen and sustain its legal services operations.

Toward this end, public attorneys continuously provide on-the-air legalcounseling on DZIQ Radyo Inquirer (Kakampi Ko Ang Batas), DZRV (RadioVeritas), Radio Mindanao Network (RMN), DWIZ (Hustisya Para sa Lahat),DWDD-AFP (Ugnayan ng Anghel ng Masa), GMA 7 (Imbestigador and UnangHirit), DZMM, ABS-CBN 2 (Aksyon Ngayon, Exklusibong Explosibong Expose(XXX), Umagang Kay Ganda, DZRH, DZRV (Radyo ng Bayan), DZBB (OroMismo), TV 5 (Face to Face) and other radio and television stations. The sameactivity is also undertaken by selected and duly authorized public attorneys in thedifferent regions.

D. ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINTS AGAINST PAO EMPLOYEES

From January up to December 2011, a total of 197 administrative complaintsand 9 formal administrative charges were received and 68 cases involvingadministrative complaints and charges were resolved and terminated through thePAO-Legal Research Service.

The PAO, through the fortitude of its Chief Public Attorney, has been trying touphold the integrity not only of the agency but of each lawyer and support staffappointed in the office.

XI. ISSUES AND CONCERNS

A. FAST TURNOVER OF PAO LAWYERS

The high turnover rate of PAO lawyers is primarily due to the followingreasons:

(1) Resignation to engage in private law practice;(2) Transfer to the National Prosecution Service (NAPROSS);(3) Transfer to the judiciary;(4) Transfer to other government owned and controlled corporations; and(5) Heavy workload;(6) No attractive retirement benefits.

Due to heavy workload and absence of attractive retirement benefits, the PAOhas difficulty in maintaining public attorneys in its fold for a long time. However, therecent upgrading of salary grades for lawyers in the agency pursuant to R.A. 9406,could somehow help PAO in retaining most of its lawyers in the service untilretirement age, more or less.

B. HEAVY WORKLOAD

On the average, a public attorney is assigned to at least two (2) courts while aprosecutor or at times two prosecutors are assigned only to one (1) court. The PAOhas only 1,536 authorized plantilla positions for lawyers which include the positions

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of the Chief Public Attorney, the two (2) Deputy Chief Public Attorneys, ServiceHeads, the 17 Regional Public Attorneys and public attorneys assigned in the CentralOffice. The total number of plantilla positions for lawyers are not enough to coverevery court in the Philippines.

It is also worthy to mention that aside from handling criminal and civil cases,public attorneys are likewise mandated to handle: (1) preliminary investigation ofcases before the Office of the Public Prosecutor; (2) labor cases before the NationalLabor Relations Commission; (3) administrative cases before administrative bodieslike DARAB, PRC, COMELEC, Bureau of Customs, DECS, PLEB, InsuranceCommission, POEA, SSS, etc.

Yet the PAO for the period of January up to December 2011 managed tohandle a total of 680,858 cases involving about 5,835,027clients. These figures showthat every public attorney handled an average of 470 cases and rendered assistance toan average of 3,806 clients for the same period.

C. NEED FOR ADDITIONAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT

Despite procurement of some office furnishings, such as chair, filing cabinets,computer tables, scanners, computers, and posture chairs, the PAO still needsadditional computers which are necessary in the immediate preparation andsubmission of pleadings with the courts and other quasi-judicial bodies whichcontributes to the improvement of the delivery of service to the clients.

XII. PLANS AND PROGRAMS

A. PRIORITY FLAGSHIP PROGRAMS(IN ACCORDANCE WITH DOJ DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

BUDGET MATRIX 2012-2016)

1. Increase access to justice especially by the poor and vulnerable groupsa) Creation of additional district offices in all municipalities subject to

continuous creation of plantilla positions by the Department of Budget andManagement (DBM) per RA 9406 and MOA of LMP and PAO;

b) Enhancement of barangay legal information and legal rights disseminationoutreach activities

c) Continuous procurement of biometrics bundy clock system for theremaining regional and district offices which are not yet equipped with the same.

2. Strengthen alternative dispute resolution (ADR)a) Continuous enhancement of Mediation and Conciliation or ADR

mechanisms(Note: Cases being mediated and those cases which have not yet beenfiled in court or the NPS or other quasi-judicial bodies)

3. Improve systems and processes through information and communicationtechnology (ICT)

a) synchronization of connectivity of central and field officesb) continuous procurement of computers subject to allocation by the DBMc) installation of case management and tracking system

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B. 2012 CONTINUING PLANS AND PROGRAMS

1. Launching of PAO Manuals and trainings related thereto, of publicattorneys to be sponsored by the American Bar Association-Rule of Law Initiative(ABA-ROLI);

2. Continue the compliance with ISO 9000 and the Government QualityManagement Systems Standards (GQMSS), pursuant to Administrative Order No.161 dated October 5, 2006;

3. Maintain and upgrade the PAO Forensic Laboratory for the furtherance ofinvestigation being conducted relative to cases handled by this Office, pursuant toRepublic Act 9745 (Anti-Torture Act of 2009), Republic Act No. 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004, Republic Act 8353 (Anti-Rape Law) and other existing laws mandating the PAO to assist the victims oraccused on a first come-first served basis;

4. Open a Medical and Dental Clinic at the PAO-Central Office for the healthbenefit of its employees;

5. Enhance the talents and skills of the members of the PAO Choir as acreative channel of PAO employees who are musically inclined;

6. Continuously carry out activities and outreach programs for the welfare ofprisoners and inmates such as the PAO’s free Legal and Medical Jail Visitation andDecongestion Program;

7. Continue the “PAO-UNICEF Seminar on Violence Against Women andtheir Children Act (R.A. 9262), Comprehensive Juvenile Justice and Welfare SystemAct (R.A. 9344) and Other Related Laws” under the revised training modules;

8. Continue the “PAO’s Advanced Training/Workshop in Forensic Medicineand Science” pursuant to DOJ Memorandum Circular No. 1, dated January 7, 2008,as part of manpower capacity building;

9. Continue the promotion of good governance, professionalism, and anti-corruption measures;

10. Continue improving communication facilities and other office equipment;

11. Continue the organization, establishment and maintenance of database,case management, and monitoring system for all cases handled by PAO nationwide;

12. Exert vigorous efforts to implement compensation scheme and financialincentives of the PAO lawyers to further motivate them in discharging their dutiespursuant to R.A. No. 9406 (PAO Law);

13. Continuous capacity building, enhancement of the skills and competenceof PAO lawyers and staff through the holding of workshops and seminars;

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14. Increase the number of lawyers and support staff assigned in each of theRegional and District Offices for a more effective and efficient delivery of servicespursuant to the PAO Law;

15. Continue coordinating with the tri-media for the advancement of the PAOoutreach activities, more particularly, dissemination of free legal advice, counseling,and mediation;

16. Vigorously pursue the rendition of prompt, effective and adequate accessto justice and legal services to the indigent sector;

17. Maintain programs and policies in achieving virtues of excellence, integrity,professionalism and moral values of all PAO lawyers and staff;

18. Endeavor to meet the ideal situation of one PAO lawyer being assigned toone court for a more effective and efficient representation of clients;

19. Empowerment of the PAO’s capacity in promoting Gender andDevelopment (GAD) Program of the government;

20. Continue the active participation of the PAO in the on-going anti-corruption, pro-poor and social justice programs of the Aquino administration; and

21. Continue the cooperation with the courts in case decongestion program.

PERSIDA V. RUEDA-ACOSTAChief Public Attorney