City Council:Secure Authority before Private Practice

The Cebu City Council has instructed those city employees who had been allowed to engage in private practice of their profession to temporarily stop their moonlighting activities until they can secure fresh authority from the mayor.
Most of the city employees who were allowed by Mayor Michael Rama to engage in their private practice are lawyers who are prohibited to engage as counsels of clients whose cases are filed by the government.

Vice Mayor-Elect Edgardo Labella abstained from supporting the resolution proposed by Outgoing Cebu City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr.

Labella said the officials could still practice their profession as long as there is no conflict of interest such as acting as counsels against the government.

But the resolution that was approved by the majority of the members of the City Council Wednesday orders the heads of departments and offices to submit to the council a list of those personnel earlier granted authorization.

The concerned city officials and employees are also required to submit a list of private engagements, copies of contracts and agreements.

In the case of lawyers, they must provide a list of all private cases, pending or those already resolved, which they privately handled in the last three years and the privately retained clients and their retainership agreements or contracts.

The mayor earlier said the validity of his issued authority for the selected professionals for them to engage in limited private practice of profession will only be until June 30.

Rama said starting July 1, those who wish to engage in their profession as private individuals are required to first submit requests from his office.