Supreme Court Imposes Fine on PAO Chief for Contempt and Undignified Conduct

MANILA – The Supreme Court of the Philippines has imposed a fine on Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, totaling PHP180,000 for indirect contempt and exhibiting grossly undignified conduct.

According to Philippines News Agency, the sanctions were a response to Acosta’s opposition to a proposed conflict of interest provision within the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) for lawyers, which she argued could potentially lead to both parties in a case being represented by PAO lawyers, and add unnecessarily to the public attorneys’ workload.

The fine levied against Acosta consists of PHP30,000 for indirect contempt of court and PHP150,000 for conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. The Supreme Court also issued a warning to Acosta, stating that a repetition of similar offenses would result in more severe consequences. Additionally, PAO forensics expert Erwin Erfe was fined PHP10,000 for making similar statements.

The court found that Acosta’s public statements and actions, including posts on her Facebook page accessible to the public, attributed malicious intent to the Court. These actions were seen as an attempt to influence public opinion and pressure the Court to rescind the new rule regarding conflicts of interest for PAO lawyers. By doing so, Acosta was found to have undermined public confidence in the judiciary and the orderly administration of justice.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court criticized an Office Order issued by Acosta that it said encouraged disobedience to the new rule, suggesting that the Court’s adoption of this rule exposed PAO lawyers to potential criminal, administrative, and even physical danger, rather than ensuring their strict compliance.