Capitol lawyers barred from private practice

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – All 10 lawyers of the Provincial Legal Office (PLO) in Negros Occidental “are not allowed to private practice,” Atty. Alberto Nillas Jr., PLO head, said on Oct. 8, 2019.

Nillas said the rule includes him.

“I come from government service too. I am used to serving the public first. We are also streamlining the processes in the legal office,” he said.

Nillas said he told all the PLO lawyers to “focus first on their work at the provincial government.”

Earlier, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said he approved requests of 89 doctors assigned at the different Capitol- operated district hospitals to do “private practice.”

Of the total number, 47 are teaching in medical schools.

Upon his assumption as governor on July 1, Lacson cancelled the “authority to practice” of all officials and employees at the Capitol.

Meanwhile, Nillas said there are 20 pending cases involving the provincial government based on their review.

Most of these cases deal with expropriations and violations of environmental and fishing laws as well as case build up with the Provincial Environment Management Office.