PAO's forensic lab not a 'duplication,' Acosta insists

Public Attorney's Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta on Sunday maintained that its operation of a forensic laboratory is not a "duplication" of the operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) which are also authorized to conduct forensic examinations.

Acosta made the remark after the Senate introduced a provision in its version of the proposed 2021 General Appropriations Act which would effectively stop the operations of the PAO's forensic laboratory division.

In a Dobol B sa News TV Interview, Acosta argued that PAO's forensic laboratory could not be considered a duplication as it helps them in their own case buildup especially for the side of defendants.

She claimed that in 90% of the cases they handle, the PNP and the NBI are on the side of the prosecution.

"Kapag sumisigaw ang mga akusado na wala silang kasalanan, 40% ng clients namin ay na-a-acquit, napapalabas dahil sa aming forensic laboratory," Acosta said.

"Paano ngayon kung kalaban na ng PAO at ng akusado ang SOCO, ang NBI? Saan tatakbo ang maralitang Pilipino? Hindi kami duplication e," she added.

It was Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon who introduced the provision in the Senate's version of the 2021 GAA.

According to him, the PAO should use its funds to hire more lawyers to assist indigent Filipinos instead of operating a forensic laboratory division.

But Acosta said inserting such provision in the budget bill is illegal as it is a violation of due process laws to terminate regular workers in the government without just cause.

"Ito ay labag sa Constitution, sa due process laws na pagtatanggal ng permanenteng trabahante sa gobyerno. May plantilla, may compensation, funded next year din," she said.

"Kaya lang pinagbabawalan na kami ay magpasuweldo at magpagamit ng ilaw, kuryente, ballpen, papel dito sa mga doktor natin at non-medical personnel ng PAO forensic laboratory," she added.

Acosta also decried the fact that the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) even got an increase in their 2021 budget, when the cases they handle are supposedly against the police, the military, and the government.

"'Yung CHR, hindi ba sila duplication? Dinagdagan sila ng pondo. P310 million bukod sa general fund nila. P310 million ang dagdag ngayong taong ito. Ang kanilang kaso ay laban sa pulis at laban sa militar, at laban sa gobyerno ang karamihan sa kanilang kaso. E kami para sa maralitang Pilipino tayo," she said.

Acosta earlier asked whether it is meant to suppress her office's "evidence-gathering" in the Dengvaxia cases.

The forensic laboratory division has examined the bodies of more than a hundred children who died allegedly after being inoculated with the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

The children's parents blame the vaccine for the deaths and have filed criminal complaints against the vaccine makers and health officials responsible for the government's immunization program. Several cases have been filed in court.

The Department of Health has said the supposed link between the vaccine and the deaths has not been proven, and some medical experts have criticized the PAO for its autopsies.

The Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the measure providing for the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021. —KG, GMA News