Dads junk appointment of lawyer Dalawampu

Finding her “unfit” and “incompetent” to hold a government post, members of the Danao City Council rejected anew the appointment of lawyer Gloria Dalawampu as city legal officer.

The city council said in a resolution passed yesterday that Dalawampu continues to practice the legal profession by handling cases that the council, led by vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III, filed against mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano Jr.

She also handles controversial cases that include the mega shabu laboratory and the decorative lamppost case among others.

Dalawampu appeared as legal counsel for Mayor Durano during the May 2 hearing of a case he filed against the city council before the Danao City Regional Trial Court “and dared anyone to challenge her appointment in court or in any forum.”

“She even declared that she will not submit her appointment to the SP for concurrence,” said the May 3 resolution.

The council said that having Dalawampu as their legal officer “is clearly detrimental to the interest of the city of Danao and the public”.

Vice Mayor Nito Durano and 12 councilors first rejected Dalawampu’s appointment as their city legal officer in a Feb. 1 resolution.

Their resolution said that Dalawampu’s appointment was contrary with provisions of the Civil Service Law and the Local Government Code.

“(But) despite the SP’s rejection of her appointment, Atty. Dalawampu continued to arrogate and usurp the functions of the City Legal Office,” said the council’s May 3 resolution.

The council said in their May 3 resolution that “Dalawampu’s declaration that she will not seek the concurrence of the SP on her appointment is tantamount to gross ignorance of the law and all the more exposes her gross incompetence because it runs afoul with paragraph d, section 454 of RA 7610 and section 1(E), Rule V of Civil Service Memorandum circular no. 40, series of 1998, as amended, which provides that appointment in local government units for submission to the commission shall be accompanied, in addition to the common requirements, by a Sanguniang resolution embodying the concurrence of the majority of its members.”

“It is hereby being unanimously resolved to reject anew the appointment of Atty. Gloria Dalawampu on the ground that she is grossly unfit or incompetent to assume such position,” said the May 3 council resolution.

The council wanted copies of their resolution furnished to the Central Visayas offices of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu and Cebu City chapters.

Copies of the council resolution are also to be given to the Danao City Human Resource Management Office, office of the mayor, city budget office, city accounting office and the city treasurers office for information and guidance.