Senator De Lima questions her presence on the House inquiry, Acosta claims she was invited.
Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Rueda Acosta seemed to be irritated with Senator Leila de Lima questioning her presence in the hearings at the House of Representatives regarding the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
Acosta, without any sign of reservation, answered to the lady senator that she got an invitation from the House Committee on Justice, issued to her by the committee secretariat, that is why she attended the hearing.
Atty. Acosta added that PAO is commonly invited to attend Congressional hearings because it is an obligation of the lawyers in the said office to give counsel to any witness in the inquiry.
“Preso ‘yung dalawa na ‘yun kaya walang trabaho ‘yun. Kapag nakakulong ang isang tao, wala kang income, our indigency test is based on income”, the PAO chief explained.
(The two witnesses are inmates and have no jobs. If someone is being imprisoned, he has no income and our indigency test is based on income.)
