The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) has issued an office order directing all its office to comply with the "conflict of interest" provision in the lawyers' Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA).
This comes after the Supreme Court (SC) denied the request of Public Attorney's Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta to delete the "conflict of interest" provision, citing that the removal may "contravene to POA's principal duty" to extend legal assistance to indigent individuals who are facing criminal, civil, labor, administrative, and other quasi-judicial cases.
"[W]e will hereby comply/adhere to the same. We hereby give the discretion and disposition as a lawyer to the individual resident public attorneys assigned in specific courts to comply with the said rule in relation to Sections 13 and 18, Canon III thereof," the order dated July 13 and signed by Acosta reads.
PAO also advised all lawyers "to adopt precautionary measures in handling conflict-of-interest cases to protect their life and limb as well as to avoid criminal and administrative liability."
The office said regional public attorneys, administrative officer of each region, service officer-in-charge, directors and district attorneys/district officers-in-charge who will fail to disseminate the issuance may face appropriate administrative sanctions.
"This order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in force until further orders," it said.
Meanwhile, in a video posted on her Facebook page, Acosta publicly apologized to the higher court for her move to delete the provision.
"Taos pusong paumanhin po. Makakaasa kayo na ang mga public attorneys ay susunod sa Section 22 in relations to 13 and 18, Canon 3 ng Professional Responsibility," she said.
"Maraming salamat po at mabuhay ang Supreme Court of the Philippines," Acosta added.
