By Eric Rosario
The government has hired a man accused by his daughter of raping her for years to be the second-in-command of the commission that has the authority to establish and set the standards for hiring, training, ethical conduct and retention of police and other peace officers on Guam.
According to an article by Nick Delgado in the Guam Daily Post, airport fire chief Raymond Mantanona was selected Thursday evening by the POST Commission to serve as its vice chairman. He will have this power for two years.
Less than a year ago, Rachel Mantanona, 26 and now living in Hawaii, publicly said her father - Raymond Mantanona - raped her repeatedly between the ages of 12 and 16. The last time he raped her was in 2010, according to her account. Back then, there was a statute of limitations on the rape of children.
[The video below is of an interview with Rachel Mantanona that occurred in July 2020]
In early 2020, Ms. Mantanona sought the assistance of the Hawaii Police Department in filing a criminal complaint against her father with the Guam Police Department. HPD prepared Case No. 20213375, and sent it to GPD, where it became Case No. 2020-18611.
On July 30, 2020, the GPD Domestic Assault Response Team contacted Ms. Mantanona and told her the case had been closed and nothing could be done because the statute of limitations had expired in her case.
But that's not true.
Mr. Mantanona was a government of Guam employee the entire time he is alleged to have raped his daughter. According to Ms. Mantanona, he has only grown more powerful within the airport fire division and has never had a break in service with GovGuam.
That means Mr. Mantanona still is criminally liable under §10.40 of Chapter 10, Title 8, Guam Code Annotated, which reads that despite the several clauses of the statutes of limitations, when a GovGuam employee is involved:
"[A] prosecution may be commenced against a public officer or employee or any person acting in complicity with such public officer or employee for any offense based upon misconduct in office by such public officer or employee at any time while such public officer or employee continues in public office or employment or within three (3) years thereafter."
The case was since forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General of Guam.
"No investigators from GPD or the AG have ever called me about my complaint," Ms. Mantanona updated Kandit today after learning of the POST Commission hiring of her father.
An administrative investigation against Mr. Mantanona began after his daughter's accusations became public. The result of that investigation has never been made public, and Mantanona continues to be the fire chief at the Guam international airport.
Ties to police corruption
The allegation against Mr. Mantanona by his daughter isn't the only mark the government is aware of against him. Raymond Mantanona is the brother of John "Boom" Mantanona, who is a federal defendant in a massive police corruption case by the U.S. Attorney.
Kandit is awaiting a response from the Governor's Office about the matter.
