‘More suffering for Rota due to accounting discrepancy’

Manglona

Sen. Paul A. Mangloña (Ind-Rota) is calling out the Department of Finance for “unreasonably” holding back funds for the Rota delegation, as well as its delay in resolving an over-a-year old accounting discrepancy over general funds, which he said is causing people in the First Senatorial District to suffer more.

In a letter to Finance Secretary David Atalig, Mangloña said that the Finance Department has yet to remit to the delegation more than $2.4 million, even after its outstanding balance is settled.

The senator’s move is in response to Finance’s recent certification of Rota’s outstanding obligation, which is what is reportedly holding up the passage at the Senate of House Bill 21-116, which could aid Rota medical referral patients and hemodialysis and terminally-ill patients.

According to the senator, the obligations of the Saipan and Tinian delegations are no different, and that the Tinian Legislative Delegation account shows that the general fund owes it approximately $1 million.

Mangloña also pointed out the “unreasonable treatment” being accorded Rota, noting that the Tinian and Saipan legislative delegations respectively have $1.77 million and $6.358 million in outstanding obligations compared to Rota’s $331,709, should Finance take hold that Year 5 and half of Year 6 shares have yet to be allotted.

“If your office takes the position that Year 5 funding ($2 million) was never allotted to the respective delegations, although Public Law 20-10 specifically appropriated the replenishment of said account, and that Year 6’s balance of $1 million also has yet to be allotted, then yes, you are technically correct that the Rota delegation owes the general fund $331,709,” Mangloña’s letter said. “But by the same token, the Tinian Legislative Delegation will then owe the general fund more than five times more, in the amount of $1.772 million. Likewise, [the] Saipan Legislative Delegation will then owe the general fund more than $6.358 million.”

The delay in resolving this accounting discrepancy, Mangloña said, is inflicting more suffering on the people of Rota because Atalig’s certification letter prevents H.B. 21-116, passed unanimously by the House last month, from being considered for passage in the Senate.

“We understand our local economy is in severe distress, are aware of the significant reduction in the general fund resources, and realize the impacts of this reduction on our public operations and services. However, these appropriations for terminally ill, hemodialysis, and interisland medical referral patients are not funded through the general fund. These are funded by way of special appropriations from annual casino license fees through the respective delegation allotments,” he said.

The senator said he does not understand why the Finance Department cannot extend the same financial flexibility consideration to the Rota Legislative Delegation that is being given to the two other legislative delegations.

“This is very concerning because the Rota delegation has attempted to resolve this apparent discrepancy in your department’s accounting of annual fund allocation for more than a year now. …On behalf of our patients, I ask for your assistance in immediately resolving these accounting discrepancies so that critical funding will be made available to our patients,” Mangloña stated.