DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Wednesday defended the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) for representing pork-barrel scam principal accused Janet Lim Napoles to the Senate inquiry on Thursday.
She said representing Napoles, even if she is not an indigent “is well within the authority of the Senate.
There is a portion under the PAO Law where government agencies can direct the PAO to provide legal assistance to other persons “in the exigency of the service,” De Lima said.
PAO Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said they will send three most senior public lawyers to assist Janet Lim-Napoles.
De Lima said there is no conflict even if the PAO is an attached agency of the Department of Justice, who, through the National Bureau of Investigation is investigating Napoles and others implicated in the scam.
“PAO are public defenders. They are on the other side of the fence or the other side of the ball game when it comes to cases, litigations,” De Lima explained.
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