JGO committee resumes hearing on Torres expenditures

Department of Public Safety Bureau of Motor Vehicle director Juana C. Leon Guerrero is sworn in before testifying yesterday before the House Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee at the House chamber. Beside Leon Guerrero is her counsel, Anthony Aguon. (Ferdie De La Torre)

After a brief hiatus due to the recent passing of Rep. Ivan Blanco, the House Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee resumed Monday its investigation into Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ expenditures and travels, with Bureau of Motor Vehicle director Juana C. Leon Guerrero appearing before the committee and testifying about some of the documents presented to her.

As part of her testimony, Leon Guerrero testified about documents that showed that Torres purchased a 2004 van for $2,000, bought a battery for it worth $110, and subsequently gave the vehicle to another person.

Reps. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan) and Christina E. Sablan (D-Saipan) pointed out at the hearing that it’s the same vehicle for which Torres purchased a battery worth $112, then had the expense reimbursed by the Department of Finance.

Before Leon Guerrero’s testimony, Rep. Richard Lizama (D-Saipan) read before the JGO Committee a sworn affidavit of Erin Angela Villagomez Camacho of the Women, Infants, and Children Program, about Torres paying for her and her father’s lunch at the Kinpachi Restaurant in Garapan on March 7, 2019. Camacho said she has since learned that Torres paid for their meal with government funds, and that the expenditure is alleged to be an unauthorized government expenditure.

“I was unaware that government funds were used to pay for our personal meal, which I estimate to have cost $30 to $40,” Camacho said.

In her testimony about that van that Torres reportedly gave to another, Leon Guerrero explained that this case is classified as a double transfer of ownership.

Leon Guerrero testified that the certification dated Jan. 10, 2019 shows that Carla Naog Camacho, as owner of the white 2002 Mazda MPV van, sold the vehicle to Torres for $2,000. Leon Guerrero said that on Jan. 28, 2019, the date of issue in the van’s certificate of ownership, the registered owner of this vehicle was Torres.

She said that on March 26, 2019, Brian Romolor went to BMV and submitted a vehicle bill of sale, indicating he (Romolor) was the owner of the van and was selling it for undetermined amount to Diosdado Miravilles. Leon Guerrero said she advised her staff to tell Romolor to get first the bill of sale and certification from Torres.

In his recap of the sequence of events, Propst said that Torres purchased the van on Jan. 10, 2019, then 18 days later registered the car. Then, in that process when Torres was gifting the car to Romolor, Torres bought a battery for the van and, two days later, is reimbursed for the battery that he had just purchased.

“So this gift that he gave away was not only a $2,000 car, it was also a brand-new battery that was paid for by taxpayer dollars,” Propst said. “This is not a government vehicle but a personal vehicle. This car is owned by Torres.”

Regarding the meal at Kinpachi Restaurant, Propst said Torres had a $30 to $40 meal reimbursed. “So I’m very confused. He is generous enough to give away a $2,000 van, yet he cannot pick up somebody’s tab that he said he would pick up and, instead, decided to once again charge it to taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Leon Guerrero gave her testimony with Anthony Aguon beside her as her counsel. The Department of Public Safety paid for Aguon’s services.