University of San Jose-Recoletos

School of Law
Practicum V
Prof: Atty. Christian Fernandez

Name: APRIL B. SUMALINOG Date: October 19, 2020

Lecturer: Atty. Kristian Erving Caumeran
INSIGHT PAPER on “The PAO”

The presentation of Atty. Kristian Erving Caumeran on the topic “THE PAO” was
very enlightening. I learned that this government agency deals with the cases or gives
legal advice to those who cannot afford to have it with a private lawyer. This
government agency does well in assisting clients. And although this type of work is
stressful, there are ton things to learn and unforgettable experiences that young lawyer
will treasure. It will also help inexperienced litigants of lessons in life and eye-openers
like the difference between actual truth and legal truth. That some cases are won, not
so much because he is not guilty, but the accused cannot just prove his innocence. And
that doing the right thing always is a MUST. The hardest part of the job is making the
uneducated understand that lawyers do not fabricate evidence and are bound by the
existing rules of procedure and evidence and pertinent laws.

These have given me the idea of what to do next by the time I become a full-
fledged lawyer. I am now determined to join the Public Attorney’s Office after passing
the bar. I believe that working as a PAO lawyer is an opportunity to learn and improve
communication skills and application of legal knowledge. It will allow me to be
familiarized with work ethics concerning public office and allowed me to experience 1st
hand how the court of law works.

According to Atty. Camera, working with the Public Attorney’s Office, is a perfect
training ground for young lawyers to experience lawyering in the mainstream. The
reason being would be exposed to a lot of trial work in the courtroom and had to deal
with a lot of judges, prosecutors, lawyers and litigants. These diverse cases, workloads
and tight deadlines, fueled him to work harder, knowing he can change the lives of
many individuals. He also gets to see that justice has been done for the accused
wrongly charged with a crime. What he enjoyed the most is whenever he sees his
clients going back thankful and smiling for helping them in their problems legally.