Alcala still Lucena mayor despite SC ruling–DILG

Lucena City, Philippines—An official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government on Friday said Vice Mayor Roderick Alcala is still the official local chief executive of this city even with the Supreme Court giving back the authority to Mayor Barbara Ruby Talaga.

“As far as the DILG is concerned, Alcala is still the mayor,” Josefina Castilla-Go, DILG-Calabarzon director, said in a phone interview on Friday.

Go also maintained that Alcala still has the legal authority to sign documents as mayor until the DILG ordered him to stop serving as the city’s chief executive.

She explained that since it was the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that served Friday last week the order for Talaga to vacate her post in favor of Alcala, it would also be the poll body to officially notify Talaga and Alcala on the SC order.

Confusion

She said once the Comelec has served the official notice to the two political protagonists, the DILG would immediately effect the transition.

The Inquirer sought the clarification from the DILG official in the wake of confusion among local government workers.

“We don’t know whom to obey and the lawful authority to sign government documents that require the signature of the city mayor,” one of the department heads complained.

Talaga, who was holed up at her office since June 17, only left the City Hall after receiving the SC order on Tuesday and has not been back since then. She is reportedly in Manila for an official business, according to a staff member at the mayor’s office.

But for Talaga’s husband, former Lucena Mayor Ramon Talaga Jr., who was appointed city administrator by his wife, Alcala had lost his authority to sign documents after the SC issued the order maintaining the status quo in the city, which means that Talaga should continue as city mayor while her appeal to reverse the Comelec ruling unseating her from office is being deliberated by the court.

“He should stop acting as city mayor because he no longer has the authority. All government documents that bore his signature after the SC order will be null and void and illegal,” the city administrator said in an interview on Thursday.

Talaga’s husband, in his capacity as city administrator, issued a memorandum to all department heads informing them of the SC order and attached a photocopy of the order.

‘Illegal’ memo

City Councilor Rey Oliver Alejandrino, a lawyer and Alcala’s political ally, claimed that Ramon Talaga’s issuance of the memorandum as city administrator was illegal.

“When his wife stepped down as ordered, his function as city administrator also ended because his office was coterminus with his wife’s office. He can be charged in court,” Alejandrino said over local radio Friday.

On June 17, Comelec representatives braved the human barricade set up by Talaga’s supporters at the City Hall and implemented the poll body’s May 20 ruling unseating Talaga and have her replaced by Alcala, who took his oath of office before a Lucena Regional Trial Court judge on the day.

After his formal assumption as city mayor, Alcala  held office at the City Hall annex building in Barangay Isabang in the outskirts of the city while Talaga was holed up in her office at the old City Hall.