THE Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has emerged as the only attached agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to achieve a perfect score in the 2025 Annual Agency Performance Review (AAPR) of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“It is a must that up until the last centavo is accounted for,” PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said.
Rueda-Acosta said the outstanding rating was not just the success of PAO but also the victory of all, especially the indigents and underprivileged members of society.
“For this is an implication that PAO is a well-performing government agency, both in the physical and financial performances, that banks on transparency and accountability,” she added.
Overall, the DOJ obtained a score of 4.15 or very satisfactory, taking into consideration its financial and physical performance and timeliness and quality of the report submissions, according to the DBM.
Based on DBM documents, copies of which were obtained by The Manila Times, the DOJ for fiscal year 2025 registered obligation and disbursement budget utilization rates of 85.59 percent and 86.69 percent, respectively.
“The PAO consistently achieved 100-percent utilization across all parameters,” Acting Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo said in a communication addressed to Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida.
In 2024, PAO was also declared top achiever for obtaining a perfect score of 5 for the same financial and physical performance review.
The DBM likewise cited PAO for its nearly perfect rating on alternative dispute resolutions and public attorneys’ perfect attendance in court hearings.
The AAPR report tracks how agencies use their allocated funds as it presents the results of the enhanced review, assessment, and evaluation of the annual performance of national government agencies, other executive offices, constitutional commissions, as well as state universities and colleges.
An autonomous government agency under Republic Act 9406 (PAO Law), PAO remains attached to the DOJ only for policy and program coordination, meaning, it has no direct control over the former, especially on its day-to-day operations.
