At least 80 PAO lawyers deny calling for Acosta, Erfe suspension

(Eagle News)–At least 80 lawyers from the Public Attorneys Office denied issuing the manifesto that seeks the suspension of PAO chief Persida Acosta and forensic chief Erwin Erfe for alleged corruption.

In an e-mailed statement to reporters, the group said the manifestation was “fabricated by someone else, unscrupulous persons who resort to shady schemes and strategies to advance their personal cause.”

“We did not write the subject manifestation, nay submitted the same to the Office of the Ombudsman..,” the group said.

The group said the “malicious and derogatory statement” merely intends to “malign” Acosta and others assisting in the Dengvaxia cases and “prevent them from independently performing their duties to render free of charge, legal representation, assistance, and counseling to indigent persons.”

“It is a demolition job; an affront to the independence and integrity of PAO,” the group added.

On Thursday, Aug. 15, a statement reportedly from PAO lawyers with Salary Grades 26 and above accused Acosta, Erfe and her alleged cohorts in the financial management service of implementing a “systematic scheme” to defraud the government.

The statement, which was anonymously signed, alleged Acosta had ordered her supposed cohorts to purchase P13 million worth of supplies for the Dengvaxia cases even if there was an overstock of the supplies from 2017, and pocketed the funds.

Acosta has denied the allegations, calling the move a smear job.