Antiquiera hits CLO for failure to file cases
City Councilor Eldrid Antiquiera lambasted the City Legal Office (CLO) for its failure to file cases against the violators of Republic Act 7832 or the anti-pilferage law. He said the legal office is "suffering from acute power problem for its ineptness in filing cases.
Antiquiera said the Task Force Boltahe has endorsed 64 operation reports and none were recommended for filing.
"If this practice will continue, we will tolerating the commission of the crime at the expense of taxpayers money, " Antiquera said.
The Task Force Boltahe led by Engineer. Salvador Pedregosa submits their operation reports to the legal office for evaluation and assessment before the filing of a complaint at the City Prosecutors Office. The task force could not file any case without the approval of the legal office.
Antiquiera also said the CLO failed to give legal assistance to the members of the task force every time a counter-charge is filed against them. "As a result of which, they are constrained to hire the services of private lawyers to defend them at their own expense.
He said the task force should not be allowed to "function without the teeth and the weapons to defend themselves in the event they are hailed to court by those whom they will apprehend in the performance of their official duties."
Antiquiera's recent views about the task force is completely opposite of what he has been telling the public days ago. Earlier, he wants to dissolve the task force for their failure to file cases against the violators. The task force was created through an executive order of Mayor Jerry Trenas.
The task force became a hot issue after several people including barangay officials were caught having illegal connections either in the city's streetlights, day care centers, gymnasiums, barangay hall and public elementary schools.
The task force intensified their operations against the violators upon the orders of the chief executive. The order came after the city government's electrical consumption increased. The city is paying millions of pesos for its electrical bills.
"The mere inspection and confiscation of the electrical wires and other equipment used for illegal electrical connection are not enough. It must be coupled with corresponding legal action in order to serve as an example to everybody," ended Antiquiera.