‘House committees welcome to BOOST info’

Ralph DLG Torres

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said Sunday that the House of Representatives’ committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Governmental Operations are welcome to get information and hold hearings on the administration’s Building Optimism, Opportunities and Stability Together Program.

“We get accused of so many things that they throw names in there, [saying that they] have been paid. Again misinformation. False allegations. I mean, this is the practice that they have been doing,” said Torres in an interview.

The governor said he is glad that the Bank of Saipan, which is the administering authority for the BOOST Program, came out and clarified those information that his critics “have been throwing rocks.”

“And I hope that the community sees that. You want information, ask for it. You get that information you need, instead of going out and trying to bash other innocent hardworking people,” said Torres, without elaborating it.

The Office of the Governor issued a “Rumor Control” advisory over the weekend where it said that rumors about Shayne Villanueva and Robert Travilla having received BOOST grant funds as a result of political involvement is false. Villanueva and Travilla are reportedly involved in the campaign activities of Torres and his running mate, Sen. Vinnie Vinson F. Sablan (R-Saipan).

Sablan, in the same interview with Torres, said it is all about providing assistance to the community. “And that’s exactly what this is, whether it’s the BOOST Program, whether it’s the Office of Energy, or Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, and all the community resource programs, and government resource programs—all of it is providing assistance and to help…our people, to comfort them, to improve their quality of life,” Sablan said.

The senator said if the committees need information and ask for it, the information will be given. “But that’s not [going to] stop the administration and us in providing the needed assistance to our people. They need help, we’ll be there to assist them,” Sablan said.

The Ways and Means Committee and Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations have sought information from the Department of Finance and Department of Commerce about BOOST Program. (See banner story).