GORDON URGES PRES. DUTERTE TO APPOINT MORE LAWYERS TO THE OSG

To ensure more efficient service by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), Senator Richard J. Gordon called on President Rodrigo R. Duterte to appoint more lawyers and fill up the vacant posts in the plantilla of the government's legal defender.

During the hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights on bills proposing to strengthen the OSG, Gordon established that, currently, the OSG only has 267 lawyers while they have an estimated 725,000 cases, of which 374,420 are still active.

"The President should appoint lawyers to fill up these vacant positions to allow for smoother service by the OSG," he said after learning that the posts of State Solicitors I to III are to be appointed by the President. The OSG disclosed that there are a number of vacancies for these positions.

On the other hand, to fill up the vacancies in the lower ranking positions, Gordon said the OSG should expedite the hiring of lawyers for the positions. Out of the 988 authorized positions for the OSG, only 721 are filled up.

"I don't mind getting you high salaries and benefits but obviously, you cannot cut the 728,904 cases. You seem to be doing a good job but no one could cope with that caseload. You should hire more lawyers," the senator, who chairs the panel stressed.

"I'm wondering why you cannot recruit lawyers. You should strengthen your recruitment," he advised the OSG.