7 senators respond; 1 Republican breaks ranks
By Jacob Nakamura
(Tumon, Guam) The three independent minority members of the Commonwealth Senate have all agreed to disclose their monthly allowance expenditures, if any. Senators Paul Manglona, Teresita Santos, and Vinnie Sablan each wrote to Kandit News Group informing us of their intention to disclose the public records.
Four Republican senators responded: Senate President Victor Hocog, and Senators Jude Hofschneider, Sixto Igisomar, and Justo Quitugua. Mr. Hocog, Mr. Hofschneider, and Mr. Igisomar sent template letters similar to the letters sent by 11 House Republicans refusing disclosure of the receipts of their expenditures of public funds.
Mr. Quitugua is the only Republican, who welcomed Kandit to call or visit to inspect his records of expenditure.
Independent House member Donald Manglona also contacted Kandit to inform us of his intention to disclose his public records. The independent minority bloc has told us all their members will comply with Kandit's Open Government Act request for disclosure. Thus far, Congressmen Ed Propst, Tina Sablan, and Edmund Villagomez have disclosed that they do not take the monthly allowance.
Republican House member Ralph Yumul is the only member of his party in the House who has disclosed that he does not avail of the monthly allowance. Eleven of his Republican colleagues in the House sent template letters refusing disclosure of their receipts:
Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao
Vice Speaker Lorenzo Deleon Guerrero
Floor Leader John Paul Sablan
Ivan Blanco
Joel Camacho
Antonio Borja
Janet Maratita
Luis Castro
Jose Itibus
Roman Benavente
Joseph Flores
In Mr. Yumul's response to Kandit, he provided evidence that Mr. Attao was the official pushing Republicans to sign the template letter.
Sources have told Kandit News that the remaining two Republicans who have not responded to the OGA, Congressmen Lee Pan Guerrero and Marco Peter, refused to sign the template letters.
