The board has separately hired attorney Viola Alepuyo, and another private lawyer to handle the Fund’s administrative hearing office.
Board Vice Chairman Pedro Dela Cruz said the incoming new in-house counsel will save the pension agency much needed resources.
James Hollman, the Fund’s in-house counsel, may retire soon, Dela Cruz indicated.
Based on the Fund’s analysis, the agency spent over $89,000 for its in-house counsel’s salaries and benefits and separately spent $167,861 for outside counsels’ fees last year.
Alepuyo said the board has to have a separate counsel because it acts as the appellate judge when an administrative case is appealed.
“There should be a clean divide of responsibilities…a line where there’s no conflict of interest,” she said.
An undetermined number of administrative cases are brought to the Fund’s attention every year involving disparities in retirement benefits, among other issues.
The in-house counsels will advise the Fund’s management while the board’s own attorney will take care of its legal issues.
Litigation involving the pension agency has to come through the board.
There are three cases separately filed against the Fund in local and federal courts.
