PAO chief seeks veto of forensics budget cut
Credit to Author: Jomar Canlas, TMT| Date: Sun, 05 Jan 2020 16:15:24 +0000
THE head of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) on Sunday made a last-ditch effort to convince President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the agency’s budget cut proposed by what she described as “yellow lawmakers” headed by Sen. Franklin Drilon.
The President is scheduled to sign the 2020 General Appropriations Act today, Monday.
PAO chief Persida Rueda Acosta was referring to the proposal to slash by P19.5 million the budget for the agency’s Forensic Laboratory, particularly for the poor litigants in its Dengvaxia crusade and other cases.
In a statement issued on January 3, Acosta joined the lawyers and staff of PAO in asking the President to take a second look at the proposed cut being backed by Drilon’s group.
The senator, together with the minority group in the House led by Congressmen Edcel Lagman and Janette Garin, inserted a special provision that prohibits the PAO from using its Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses budget to fund the operation of the Forensic Laboratory Division.
The PAO asked Duterte to veto the particular provision because it is unconstitutional.
Acosta said the Commission on Human Rights, which is investigating alleged extrajudicial killings, was allocated P238,822,000 for its forensic services and other related services in its 2019 budget.