PAO Mission

The Public Attorney’s Office exists to provide the indigent litigants, the oppressed, marginalized and underprivileged members of the society free access to courts, judicial and quasi-judicial agencies, by rendering legal services, counselling and assistance in consonance with the Constitutional mandate that “free access to courts shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty” in order to ensure the rule of law, truth and social justice as components of the country’s sustainable development.

PAO Vision

A government agency that is God-centered and dynamic bureaucracy that is responsive to the ever-growing legal needs of the indigents and oppressed led by highly competent, world- class, development-oriented, honest, dedicated and nationalistic leaders and lawyers.

Our Public Attorney's Office is composed of very capable and hardworking lawyers who are overworked and underpaid and they should be accorded with much respect. I was observing one courtroom last Monday and I heard the accused say, "PAO lang," after being asked if he has a lawyer. Maybe it was not his intention to undermine the abilities of his PAO lawyer but to me, it sounded like he did not feel confident being represented by a lawyer provided to him by the government. No one should ever insult his lawyer like that.