Public Attorneys Office (PAO) chief Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta on Friday cried foul over the corruption allegations hurled against her, saying it was meant to hurt the cases filed by her office over the deaths of several children allegedly caused by the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

The PAO chief challenged lawyer Wilfredo Garrido Jr., who filed the manifestation against her, to prove the corruption allegations or risk disbarment

In a radio interview, Acosta said that she has been serving in the agency for two decades and stressed that the funding that they get are just enough for the salaries of PAO employees.

“I have been there for two decades. Our funds are mainly for the salary of employees. What funds will we pocket there?” asked Acosta. “I have had a lot of experience in which trouble would suddenly arise because some people want to remove me from office to win their case. The evidence against Dengvaxia is strong.”

Acosta’s statements came after a manifestation by unnamed PAO lawyers accused Acosta of using purchase orders for office supplies to obtain extra funds for her agency. She and her forensics chief Dr. Erwin Erfe were also accused of using PAO funds for coffins, shirts and tarpaulins used in rallies against Dengvaxia.

State lawyers are calling for the preventive suspension of Acosta and forensics head Dr. Erfe.

“The immediate suspension of respondents Acosta and Erfe is warranted under the circumstances in order to prevent them from influencing potential witnesses and to avoid the wastage of taxpayers money through questionable albeit illegal purchases and transactions,” PAO lawyers said in a statement.

The lawyers said Acosta and her alleged allies in the financial management service defrauded the government by doctoring purchase orders for office supplies such as bond papers, markers and inks, to be used for the Dengvaxia cases in 2018.

Previously, the government stopped the sale of Dengvaxia late 2017 and its use in the immunization of schoolchildren after its maker warned that the drug may cause more severe symptoms if given to those who have not had the mosquito-borne disease.

That sparked controversies as PAO autopsied the remains of 144 children who allegedly died after getting the vaccine, said Acosta and got evidence that the victims died because of the vaccine.

However, the Department of Health and several health experts have insisted that there is no established link between Dengvaxia and the alleged deaths.

After the manifesto surfaced, some 106 PAO lawyers on Thursday denied that they were behind the manifestation that demanded Acosta’s suspension and according to her, the PAO gets the bulk of its supplies from the Budget department.

In a manifesto signed by some 106 public attorneys, they said they didn’t ask the Office of the Ombudsman for the preventive suspension of Acosta and Erfe over allegations of corruption.

“Obviously, the manifestation was fabricated by someone else; unscrupulous person/s who resort to shady schemes and strategies to advance their personal cause,” part of the manifesto read.

“As we perceive it, the malicious and derogatory statements contained therein are intended to malign the PAO and other names officials therein, and prevent them from independently performing their duties,” it added.

The PAO chief challenged lawyer Wilfredo Garrido Jr., who filed the manifestation against her, to prove the corruption allegations or risk disbarment.

“It’s easy to say that someone is like this, but prove it,” said Acosta.