ILOILO City – Atty. Lorna Laurea, head of the City Legal Office (CLO), has retired.
The office has a new head – Mayor Jose Espinosa III has issued an order designating City Legal Officer III Rulido Dela Cruz as officer-in-charge of the CLO effective July 1, said City Administrator Hernando Galvez.
Laurea spent her last day as CLO head on June 30, Galvez said.
But she cannot be cleared until the CLO comes up with recommendations on several cases, including on the alleged pilferage of rice stocks at the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).
“We made it clear to Attorney Laurea that we will not sign her clearance unless maka-submit sila sang recommendation regarding the investigation on CSWDO. We’ve been waiting for it,” said Galvez.
Cases that the CLO had started investigating cannot be turned over to the other legal officers, the city administrator said.
“Indi pwede ma-delegate sa iban. Mabudlay sa nagsubli nga wala ka-participate [sa investigation],” he stressed.
Laurea must have a clearance signed before she could get her terminal leave pay, said Galvez.
Laurea was designated CLO officer-in-charge in July 2016 after Galvez, then CLO head, was appointed city administrator.
She accepted the offer of then mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog to become a full-fledged CLO head November that year.
Dela Cruz, the new head, started working at the CLO in 1992 as legal assistant II.
He became a lawyer and was promoted as legal officer III. Currently he is a member of the city government’s Bids and Awards Committee./PN
