Fiel cannot yet act as legal officer – Vice Mayor Antoni

TACLOBAN CITY – The current legal officer of the city government, Chloe Fiel, could not yet discharge the functions of her office. This is becuase Mayor Alfred Romualde has yet to submit to the city council her appointment for their ratification. Thus said Vice Mayor Arvin Antoni, after Councilor Eden Pineda noticed that in some documents and transactions of the city, Fiel’s signature appeared on some documents. Pineda also noted that in some news articles, Fiel was identified as the city legal officer. Councilor Jerry Uy, for his part, said that a litigant informed him that Fiel represented the city government but failed to present her authority. During their regular session last Wednesday, councilors tackled on the creation of City Legal Department as proposed by Mayor Romualdez. The position of city legal officer become vacant after Jenny Lyn Manibay resigned last month of May. “With the absence of her appointing papers, she still cannot assume the position as city legal officer and cannot represent the city in any legal proceedings,” Antoni stressed. He added that with the “misrepresentation,” Fiel could be prosecuted criminally as the documents she had signed can be questioned in court. “This matter should be looked into by the city administrator (Tecson John Lim) by sending the appointment documents of this person and not his actions of sending office orders even to members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod,” Antoni added. To prevent further problem in the case of Fiel, the city council had ordered the SP secretary to send a note verbal Mayor Romualdez as well as to city administrator Lim and to Fiel herself for them to submit the necessary documents for the concurrence of Fiel’s appointment as city legal officer.