CJ Gesmundo to PAO Lawyers: “Nothing but the Deepest Admiration for All of You”
October 11, 2022
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo and Chief Public Attorney Dr. Persida V. Rueda-Acosta pose for posterity with participants of the 7th MCLE Accredited National Convention of Public Attorneys at the Philippine International Convention Center on Monday, October 11, 2022.
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo extolled the roles and the achievements of public attorneys nationwide during the first day of the 7th MCLE Accredited National Convention of Public Attorneys at the Philippine International Convention Center on Monday, October 11, 2022.
Addressing the 2,500 participants from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), led by Chief Public Attorney Persida V. Rueda-Acosta, Chief Justice Gesmundo said that the Supreme Court remains firm in its support of PAO’s mission of providing indigent, oppressed, marginalized, and underprivileged Filipinos free access to the courts.
“This is also why I have nothing but the deepest admiration for all of you who have chosen to dedicate yourselves to the delivery of public service, and to the fulfillment of this promise,” expressed the Chief Justice. “The work that you do underscores the very premise that allows a judicial system to exist and thrive: that disputes will not be decided by wealth or by power, but will be settled, without fear or favor, by truth; that no matter where we come from or how much money we have in our pockets, we remain equal in the eyes of the law.”
Chief Justice Gesmundo likewise recognized the critical role of the PAO in ensuring the speedy disposition of cases, especially of persons deprived of liberty.
“In updating myself on the accomplishments of PAO over the past year, I found that our public attorneys were able to serve over nine million clients and handle over 787,000 cases, including 76,364 persons deprived of liberty who were released from detention in 2021 alone,” shared Chief Justice Gesmundo.
“I must also say that the lawyers of PAO have done excellent work in handling appealed cases. I understand that you were able to secure favorable dispositions in 1,702 appealed cases in just last year, with your total favorable disposition rate exceeding your targets despite the hindrances of lockdowns and quarantines,” he said, adding his hopes that the Philippine Judiciary’s move to allow fully remote videoconferencing at the height of the pandemic has been helpful in achieving these targets. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)