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Castro submits response; asks for another extension
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Posted on Dec 06 2022
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ chief of staff, William Castro, has reportedly asked for more time to produce documents related to the administration’s Building Optimism, Opportunities, and Stability Together, or BOOST Program.
Rep. Celina R. Babauta (D-Saipan), who chairs the House of Representatives’ Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations, said yesterday that the governor’s chief of staff has requested the panel for another extension.
In response to Saipan Tribune’s inquiry, Babauta said that Castro has not submitted any documents to the committee yet, but did submit a summary response to the subpoena.
Castro sent an email to Babauta and House Committee on Ways and Means chair Rep. Donald M. Manglona (Ind-Rota) over the weekend, thanking them for allowing him to provide the summary response and for providing him another extension until tomorrow, Wednesday, at 10am, to submit full documents.
Castro stated in the email that he is currently traveling and will work through the weekend to gather any correspondence related to the administration of the BOOST Program that he has on record.
William Castro
The two House committees canceled their scheduled joint meeting last Friday regarding the BOOST Program after Castro asked for more time to respond to their subpoena.
Babauta earlier explained that there was no need to hold Castro in contempt after granting him an extension.
The committees issued the subpoena to compel some entities and persons, including Castro, to produce documents related to the BOOST Program and testify before the panels.
Castro missed the first deadline on Nov. 29. The second deadline was last weekend.
The committees want to hold a meeting in their bid to find out, among other things, who have been awarded under the BOOST Program and those who have been denied, or are still awaiting disposition. Bank of Saipan is the administrator of the program.
