The Supreme Court (SC) has denied the request of Public Attorney's Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta to delete the "conflict of interest" provision in the lawyers' Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA).

In a press statement on Wednesday, SC Public Information Office (PIO) said the higher court denied Acosta's plea to delete Section 22 Canon III or the "Conflict of Interest", 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.

"To turn away from indigent litigants and bar them from availing of the services of all PAO lawyers nationwide due to alleged conflict of interest would be to contravene PAO's principal duty and leave hundreds of poor litigants unassisted by legal counsel they cannot otherwise afford," SC PIO said.

The Supreme Court has resolved to deny the request of Atty. Persida V. Rueda-Acosta, the Chief of the Public Attorney’s Office, to delete Section 22, Canon III of the CPRA, which limits the invocation by the PAO of the rule on conflict of interest.

READ: https://t.co/RqvyuGGqky pic.twitter.com/ygJbimpbBd

— Philippine Supreme Court Public Information Office (@SCPh_PIO) July 12, 2023

It said that the higher court has directed Acosta to show cause to explain "why she should not be cited in indirect contempt for her social media posts and newspaper publications which tended, directly or indirectly, to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice. "

"The Court characterized Atty. Acosta's resort to social and print media to air her unfounded grievances against the Court as a threat to the independence of the judiciary," the SC PIO said.

In addition, the higher court instructed Acosta to show cause "why she should not be disciplined" as a bar member.