MANILA, Philippines—The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to veto a provision in the 2021 budget that will remove the agency’s forensics laboratory.
The 2021 General Appropriations Bill prohibits the use by the PAO of funds from its maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) for its forensic lab.
In a letter dated Dec. 14, PAO, through its chief, Persida Rueda-Acosta, said defunding the PAO Forensic Laboratory will jeopardize operations in helping clients who are mostly poor.
“It is highly oppressive for a governmental unit to be expected to perform its mandate with allocations only for the salaries and other entitlements of its personnel,…
Keep on reading: PAO asks Duterte to veto budget cut removing funds from forensics lab