Persida Acosta

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Persida Acosta
PBBM-2022 TOFIL awarding (cropped)-Persida Acosta.jpg
Acosta in 2023
Chief of the Public Attorney's Office
Assumed office
February 23, 2001

On February 23, 2001, then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Acosta to head the Citizen’s Legal Assistance Office (Public Attorney's Office; PAO since 2006). Since then, she served under the Benigno Aquino III, Rodrigo Duterte and Bongbong Marcos administrations.

Under Duterte, Acosta was awarded the Outstanding Individual for Government Service on August 29, 2016. In July 2016, she defended the police over deaths in the beginning of the Philippine drug war saying they were "almost negligible". Despite this, Acosta became the legal counsel for Kian Delos Santos, a high-profile case of a teenage boy who was killed in an anti-drug police operation. [4]

Remark on the CPRA

In 2023, the Supreme Court issued a show cause order against Acosta after she criticized[ how? ] the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA). [5] After Acosta apologized, she issued an order for public attorney lawyers to follow the Supreme Court's new code of conduct. [6] The Supreme Court in an En banc judgment promulgated on February 28, 2024 fined Rueda-Acosta PHP 30,000 for indirect contempt of court and PHP 150,000 for grossly undignified conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. PAO forensics expert Erwin Erfe was also fined PHP 10,000 for similar statements. [7]

Personal life

Persida is married to a fellow lawyer, Benedicto M. Acosta, with whom she has two children. [1] [8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Who's Who in Bataan – Persida Rueda Acosta". 1Bataan. January 26, 2016. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Cabacungan, Gil (November 16, 2016). "PAO chief Acosta, bar flunkee twice, now vies for SC post". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  3. "Profile of Chief Public Attorney Back Home". Public Attorney's Office. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  4. Adel, Rosette (August 21, 2017). "PAO chief Acosta takes Kian's case; family to file murder raps". The Philippine Star. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  5. "SC orders PAO chief to explain over public tirades". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  6. Bolledo, Jairo (July 14, 2023). "Acosta apologizes to SC, orders PAO to follow code of conduct for lawyers". Rappler. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  7. Baroña, Franco (February 28, 2024). "SC fines Acosta for indirect contempt of court". The Manila Times . Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  8. Baby E (April 5, 2013). "Amy ina-absorb ang mga nasasagap na away" [Amy absorbs fights]. Pang-Masa (in Filipino). The Philippine Star.