Sablan confirmed; vows ‘zero tolerance’ vs. abusive officials

New Public Auditor Michael S. Sablan yesterday vowed to protect the government purse with “zero tolerance” against abuses by local officials as the Senate confirmed his nomination a day after he assumed office.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio’s former close finance advisor drew overwhelming support from senators, government officials and colleagues in the accounting profession at the public hearing held earlier in the day at the Senate chamber.

Mr. Sablan, 42, was named on Friday to head the Office of Public Auditor following the resignation of previous chief Leo L. LaMotte. The Senate quickly gave its advice and consent, acknowledging the difficult job placed on his hands.

He expressed gratitude for the support, noting that as public auditor he is bound to abide by a code of ethics and high standards imposed on people in the same profession.

“The management of public resources and, most especially, public funds, is a sacred trust — a public trust. It must be aggressively protected with zero tolerance for violations of that public trust by anyone,” Mr. Sablan said at the hearing.

Amid criticisms that his new job as public auditor could undermine efforts to reduce graft and corruption in the government, his colleagues came to his side to vouch for his integrity.

Finance Sec. Lucy DLG. Nielsen, testifying before the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Governmental Investigations, assured that Mr. Sablan would extol loyalty to the job and carry out his duties and responsibilities.

She refuted claims of conflict of interests and that his appointment by the governor might be politically linked and be biased toward the Tenorio administration.

Mr. Sablan responded to the questions from the senators on that issue, saying the high ethical standards of the accounting profession demand that he must remain independent and objective.

“There’s no room from that code of ethics for conflict of interests and political influence,” he told the committee.

Improvement

But he cited current weaknesses in the government and said efforts must be undertaken to improve the procurement process, enforcement and interpretation of laws as well as education of public and private sectors.

“These are all fixable, they are being fixed and we must continue our efforts to improve to ensure that the taxpayers money is spent in the most efficient manner,” he added.

He gave kudos to his predecessor whom he maintained had done an outstanding job “without favor or against anyone” during the last six years and a half at the OPA.

Mr. LaMotte, who quit last October to retire from public service, previously had said the government must exert extra efforts to fight graft and corruption on the islands, which he described as “quite intolerable.”

Mr. Sablan pledged to guard “judiciously” this reputation for objectivity and fairness which is central to the success of the office. OPA, under his stewardship, will continue to be tough on abuses, he said.

“[T]here can be no compromise, as there can be none in the pursuit of those who violate the public trust,” he explained.

As head of an independent agency tasked with safeguarding the local coffers, Mr. Sablan promised to take a more proactive, prospective approach with government offices to ensure better use of resources.

“Because we have fewer resources, the greater challenge is to stretch taxpayers dollars as far as possible while continuing to provide quality services to the public,” he said.

In light of moves in the Legislature to phase out nonresident workers employed by the CNMI government, the new OPA chief pledged to implement programs to attract qualified locals in his office.

Native son

Mr. Sablan, a father of three boys, graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1981 and became a certified public accountant seven years later.

Before he worked for the governor, he was the vice president and chief financial officer of Joeten Enterprises. He held various positions in the corporate world here and in the mainland, including DFS Galleria on Saipan.

Several local officials and fellow CPAs have touted his credibility and qualifications, underlining the fact that he is “a son of the CNMI.”

On issues between the Department of Finance and the Legislature over expenditures of public funds, Mr. Sablan told the hearing the problem lies with the interpretation of “public purpose” which he agreed must be addressed by the court.