Inos urges lawmakers to be more ‘specific’

Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos, when he was acting governor on Friday, urged the House of Representatives and the Senate to ensure “specificity and accountability” in their future bills as he signed “with reservations” a bill appropriating and reprogramming some $572,000 in Rota, Saipan, and Tinian funds.

Inos signed “with reservations” House Bill 17-83, House Draft 2, Senate Draft 3 into Public Law 17-44, a copy of which was obtained only yesterday.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has been back on island since Sunday.

Inos cited, as an example, the bill’s Section 3, which appropriates $100,000 from Rota’s Solid Waste Revolving Account 2083 to three programs and activities, including buying a landfill equipment for $60,000, heavy equipment parts for $20,000 and fuel and lubrication for $20,000. The bill says this amount may be reprogrammed by the Rota mayor “for any other purpose.”

Inos said Section 3 “seemingly aims” to implement the intent of the bill, but “it then allows for reprogramming for any other purpose.”

“This is an indirect way of appropriating funds for general government operations at the discretion of the expenditure authority. Any unauthorized reprogramming should have been in accordance with the intent of the legislation,” said Inos, a former Finance secretary.

Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota), when asked for comment, said the legislation could have been worded more appropriately, adding that the appropriated money will be used for landfill operations only.

The then acting governor also said Section 2 of the bill re-appropriates funds for “various projects” throughout Precinct 5.

Rep. Frederick P. Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), from Precinct 5, is the author of the bill.

“The language is broad and leaves much to be guessed as to which ‘various projects’ will be implemented. I urge the Legislature to clearly identify projects in future legislation of this type,” Inos told the Senate president and House Speaker Eli Cabrera (R-Saipan).

Section of the bill is re-appropriation of $107,000 from Business Account 3750D originally for a Tangantangan Road project and $15,000 from Business Account 3750B initially for the rehabilitation of Kagman II baseball field, to go towards “various projects” in Precinct 5 under the expenditure authority of the Department of Public Works secretary.

Inos did not cite concern on the fourth and last section of the bill, which appropriates $350,000 from Tinian’s Solid Waste Revolving Account 2084, for the purchase of a $200,000 landfill compactor and the purchase of a $150,000 medium-wheeled loader under the expenditure authority of the Tinian mayor.

Unlike Section 3, this last section of the bill allows the Tinian mayor to reprogram the funds “for landfill operation purposes only.”

“I approve this measure with concerns and urge the legislature to ensure more specificity and accountability in future legislation,” Inos said in his message to the presiding officers of the Legislature.