Public Attorney's Office (Philippines)
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1972 as Citizen's Legal Assistance Office |
| Jurisdiction | Philippines |
| Employees | 3,518 (2024) |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent department | Department of Justice |
| Website | pao |
The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) is the public defender for all courts in the Philippines. It also provides other legal services to the poor. According to its mission statement it exists to provide to the poor "free access to courts, judicial and quasi-judicial agencies, by rendering legal services, counselling [sic] and assistance".
It is an attached agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ). It is led by chief public attorney Persida Acosta, who was appointed to the position on February 23, 2001, by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.