By Troy Torres
(Tumon, Guam) Guam Police Officer AJ Demapan - a member of the governor's executive security team - has photobombed several pictures posted by Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero's office, taken from official functions and social events. As her taxpayer-paid bodyguard, his job is to assure the security of the governor and to drive her to and from where she needs to be.
In some of these photos, Mr. Demapan is smiling for the camera along with Ms. Leon Guerrero. So much for the concern that a terrorist might be watching.
In the rest of the photos, Ms. Leon Guerrero is smiling for the camera while Mr. Demapan - her bodyguard - is in the background not watching his boss. He's either talking to a partygoer, gawking at art, eating, or doing something else but flanking the governor and assuring her security.
Worse? In nearly every picture, he's holding what appears to be a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or liquor.
In the latest photo, which appears in this story, Mr. Demapan poses for the camera, sitting to Ms. Leon Guerrero's side while no one is watching the entrance to a restaurant in Korea, where the governor and two of her bodyguards are on a taxpayer-funded trip. In front of him in the picture is a bottle of beer.
Government financial documents reflect that Mr. Demapan is paid a base salary of $49,799.40 annually. This is before including the significant amount of money he makes in night differential, hazard pay, and overtime.
Every time Mr. Demapan travels with Ms. Leon Guerrero, he earns 150 percent his hourly rate of $23.94, or nearly $36 an hour for every hour beyond the first eight hours of every 24-hour period from the time the plane leaves Guam to the time he lands back with it.
At least in the several photos posted by the Governor's Office, it appears the taxpayers pay Mr. Demapan a lot of money to not do his job, in a position that Ms. Leon Guerrero promised the taxpayers she wouldn't need when she's traveling.
Kandit sent this picture to Chief of Police Steven Ignacio today in an email. Here are the questions we asked Mr. Ignacio:
Is this proper protocol on how executive security officers are supposed to be while on duty protecting the governor?
Are they allowed to drink on duty?
If these two men are actually on duty, who exactly is guarding the governor in Korea?
Why are there two police officers with the governor?
Do you think these officers may be put to better use protecting our streets, since GPD, mayors, and several residents have cited the shortage of police officers, especially in high crime areas throughout the island?
Do you think this may affect morale within the department?
Are the actions in the photo indicative of the type of training executive security officers receive in your department?
Are these officers being paid overtime while in Korea? Night differential? Hazardous pay?
What exactly are the duties of these officers traveling with the governor?
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