Ms. Persida V. Rueda-Acosta ‧Chief Public Attorney Public Attorney’s   Office Department of Justice ‧Philippines

Professional Employment

【Feb. 23, 2001–Present】Chief Public Attorney, Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) 【June 2007–Present】Professor, Ateneo de Manila University School of Law 【June 2005–2008】Professor, Bulacan State University College of Law 【June 2004–2007】Professor, New Era University College of Law, 【June 1993–2006】Professor, University of the East College of Law 【June 1990–October 2005】Professor, San Sebastian College of Law 【August 1993–February 22, 2001】Partner, Acosta Rueda–Acosta and Associates Law Office 【April 29 and 30, 1995】Bar Reviewer, Family Code, INRESS Review Center 【November 16, 1990–August 2, 1993】Public Attorney, Public Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice 【Feb 1988–May 14, 1990】Legal Researcher, Regional Trial Court, Branch 91, Quezon City 【May 1989–October 1989】Detailed Legal Researcher, Supreme Court of the Philippines 【December 1986】Assistant Legal Counsel, University of the East, Legal Counsel’s Office 【May–June 1986】Legal Apprentice, Cayetano Bautista Picazo and Reyes Law Offices, 3rd Floor, Vernida IV Building, Alfaro St., Salcedo Village, Makati City

Biography

Persida V. Rueda–Acosta (4th Placer, 1989 Bar Examinations) is the Chief Public Attorney of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), an agency mandated to give free legal assistance to indigent clients.  She is the nationwide head of 1,048 public attorneys and 800 support staff housed in 269 districts and 17 regional offices and has been a professor at the Ateneo College of Law.  She is a Senior Fellow of the Asian Public Intellectuals (API) Fellowships, Fellow of Japan Legal Aid Association (JLAA), an International Visitor (IV) of the United States of America (USA) and Member of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA). In 2004, her oral arguments before the Supreme Court resulted in the suspension of the execution of hundreds of death row convicts, granting of executive clemency to 70–year–old and above inmates and the abolition of death penalty in the Philippines in 2006. She was conferred with various recognitions, inter–alia: the International Gusi Peace Prize, the Lingkod Bayan Award (Highest Presidential Award for Outstanding Public Service), the United Filipino Seafarers Outstanding Public Servant Award, the Huwarang Pilipino (Model Filipino) Hall of Fame Award, the National Maagap Award for Public Service, the Kayamanan ng Bansa (National Treasure) Award and Soroptimist International Awards. She has delivered speeches in various international conferences regarding Free Legal Aid, Justice and Human Rights. The newly–enacted 2007 Republic Act No. 9406 has elevated the PAO to an independent and autonomous office.