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DPS chief goes on medical leave
House hearing on budget will not push through today
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Robert Guerrero, who did not show up at last Tuesday’s budget hearing, has gone on medical leave. This means a House Ways and Means Committee plan to resume its budget hearing today, Friday, will not push through.
Committee chair Rep. Donald M. Manglona (Ind-Rota) told Saipan Tribune that Guerrero called him up yesterday morning to inform him that he is on medical leave for possibly two weeks and asked to reschedule the budget hearing.
“So it seems like he’s able to come before the committee but just asked that he can do it at a later time…” Manglona said.
Manglona said he will confirm if Guerrero is back in a week and a half and then they will schedule the hearing when the commissioner is available.
He said Guerrero apologized for failing to attend Tuesday’s hearing and explained there was an emergency on Tinian that he needed to attend.
Manglona said the commissioner suggested that the committee just go on recess and reschedule the hearing, rather than proceed with only some DPS staff and without him.
After the committee completed the hearing on the budget for the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services yesterday afternoon, Manglona announced that the resumption of the hearing for DPS budget today, Friday, will not push through as Guerrero had called that he’s on medical leave.
The announcement provoked mixed reactions among some lawmakers and other people in the House chamber.
Guerrero’s absence at the DPS budget hearing last Tuesday disappointed some committee members and left many questions unanswered. Manglona then announced the continuation of the hearing for today, hoping to have Guerrero in the chamber.
Tuesday’s DPS budget hearing only had DPS director for Administration Kaye Inos, DPS Bureau of Motor Vehicles director Juana Leon Guerrero, and DPS human resources manager Esther Delos Reyes.
