City attorney resigns: Tom wants more aggressive lawyer

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Tomas Osmeña has accepted the resignation of acting city attorney Rodulfo Golez, saying he is getting a more aggressive lawyer to make him win particularly in running after the schools and hospitals that refuse to pay their business tax to the city.

The mayor confirmed yesterday that Golez tendered his resignation for his deteriorating health condition.

Golez, who has been holding the position since two years ago, will be replaced by Atty. Joseph Bernaldez, who will hold office in acting capacity.

“The case has been in court for three years now, we have to get other legal minds,” Osmeña said, referring to the case between the city and the schools and hospitals.

The mayor said the legal consultants and the lawyer councilors are pouring in everything with a single aim of winning the fight in collecting business tax from the schools and hospitals that refuse to pay taxes to the city because of their non-stock, non-profit status.

Osmeña said he is also bent on writing to local dailies why the said entities will be taxed. He earlier said that these establishments are enjoying the bulk of the services of the city at no expense.

He added the plan to stop and pull out the city’s services such as garbage collection, law enforcement, fire will not affect the peace and order situation. “I don’t care about their worries. Why, do they care about us? I don’t care and I hope they are worried,” Osmeña said.

Through a tax ordinance, the city first tried to impose 2 ½ percent tax on the gross income of the schools and hospitals but was later on reduced until it reached only ¾ of one percent, but it still fell on deaf ears.

Meanwhile, City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon told reporters yesterday that Golez is welcome to work back in the city prosecutor’s office after he resigns at the City Hall.

Sellon said Golez used to be the second assistant city prosecutor before he left to work full time as the city attorney of the Cebu City Government.

“He can work here the same job that he has before but I need a formal communication with him,” Sellon said.

According to him, Golez’s presence can be of an added manpower to the increasing number of cases filed at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office. — Ferliza C. Contratista and Jasmin R. Uy/WAB (THE FREEMAN)