Legislature eyes changes to ‘public purpose’ law

Both the House and the Senate will likely come up with respective legislation amending the “public purpose” law that has sparked disagreement between members of the Legislature and the Tenorio administration in recent weeks.

Although lawmakers have reached an “understanding” with Finance Sec. Lucy DLG. Nielsen on which expenditures they can charge to their government accounts, this amendment is necessary to ensure that problems will not crop up again in the future.

Senate President Paul A. Manglona said the meeting last week resulted to an “understanding and better awareness” on what are questionable and acceptable expenses by the Legislature.

“This is not a problem between the Legislature and Department of Finance. It is merely a concern because of unpaid bills by the members that gives us the problems,” he said.

Mr. Manglona said the Senate may come up with a bill to set out a clear-cut policy on the existing law which defines the phrase “public purpose” as provided under the Constitution.

House Speaker Diego T. Benavente also has introduced a separate proposal in the lower house amending such law after members expressed frustration over the difficulties in requesting payment from DOF for expenses incurred, such as tent rental for funerals and novenas.

The measure is considered top House priority on the heels of Rep. Melvin O. Faisao’s call for Ms. Nielsen to resign amid his failed efforts to ask reimbursement for tent rentals amounting to $290 that he charged to his legislative account.

Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, who authored the initial “public purpose” legislation that was signed into law early this year, lamented the confusion and different interpretations of its provisions.

He said the Legislature is in favor of a recommendation from the administration to pass a measure accepting pending requests for payment as charges that can be shouldered by the government.

“What the administration has proposed to do is to ratify these requests so that the it will enable the DOF to process payment and get rid of those questionable reimbursement, except for payments that are clearly political and personal in nature where it should not apply,” added Mr. Reyes.

But he believed that further clarification on the intent of the law is in order so that there will be delineation of what are traditional and cultural practices in the CNMI that can be considered for the benefit of the public, and not for personal or political gain, such as funerals.

“I can understand when lawyers coming from [off-island] do not agree with us because they never understand local culture,” explained Mr. Reyes.

“We need to make some clarification as to what is allowable expense and what is not… It appears necessary to put that simple language in writing in hopes that we won’t have anymore wrong legal interpretation of our position,” added the senator.

Major differences have occurred in the past between finance officials and legislators over the latter’s accounts, prompting a legislative initiative that sought to establish a separate finance office for each branch of the government. The measure was voted down by the people in last month’s polls.