Section 5. Section 16, Chapter 5, Title III, Book IV of Executive Order No. 292, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 16. The Chief Public Attorney and Other PAO Officials. — The PAO shall be headed by a Chief Public Attorney and shall be assisted by two (2) Deputy Chief Public Attorneys. Each PAO Regional Office established in each of the administrative regions of the country shall be headed by a Regional Public Attorney who shall be assisted by an Assistant Regional Public Attorney. The authority and responsibility for the exercise of the mandate of the PAO and for the discharge of its powers and functions shall be vested in the Chief Public Attorney.

"The Office of the Chief Public Attorney shall include his/her immediate staff, the six (6) line divisions in the Central Office, the Deputy Chief Public Attorneys and the Regional, Provincial, City and Municipal District Offices.

"The Chief Public Attorney shall have the same qualifications for appointment, rank, salaries, allowances, and retirement privileges as those of the Chief State Prosecutor of the National Prosecution Service. The Deputy Chief Public Attorneys shall have the same qualifications for appointment, rank, salaries, allowances, and retirement privileges as those of the Assistant Chief State Prosecutor of the National Prosecution Service.

"The services herein created shall each be headed by a staff director who shall have the same qualifications for appointment, rank, salaries, allowances and privileges as those of staff director of the National Prosecution Service.

"Each of the PAO Regional Offices shall be headed by a Regional Public Attorney who shall be assisted by an Assistant Regional Public Attorney. The regional offices shall have such provincial, city and municipal district offices as may be necessary.

"The Regional Public Attorney and the Assistant Regional Public Attorney shall have the same qualifications for appointment, rank, salaries, allowances, and retirement privileges as those of a Regional State Prosecutor and the Assistant Regional State Prosecutor of the National Prosecution Service, respectively.

"The Provincial Public Attorney, City Public Attorney and the Municipal District Public Attorney shall have the same qualifications for appointment, rank, salaries, allowances and retirement privileges as those of a Provincial Prosecutor and City Prosecutor as the case may be, of the National Prosecution Service, respectively.

"The other administrative personnel in the PAO shall have the rank and salaries equivalent to their counterpart in the National Prosecution Service."