By Eric Rosario
The Guam Legislature's chairman of the committee with oversight of police operations says he doesn't buy the company line that police corruption doesn't exist. He's calling for a full legislative investigation into corruption, not just at Guam Police Department, but also at the island's Judiciary. He's also calling for Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency to have the resources and the mandate to inspect 100 percent of the cargo that arrives at the seaport to prevent the shipment of drugs into the island.
Sen. Jose "Pedo" Terlaje informed Chief of Police Stephen Ignacio of the investigation in a letter to Mr. Ignacio, which you may read below:
Dear Chief Ignacio:
My niece Speaker Therese Terlaje has called an oversight hearing on the Judiciary of Guam in regards to allegations of corruption at the court. I fully support this oversight hearing and I believe that Speaker Terlaje can be objective even though Joey is her cousin. The court has said they have done an internal affairs investigation into the matter and that the FBI reported that no one was under investigation but as Speaker Terlaje noted to KUAM, no one can vacate warrants except for judges and the process needs to be examined to ensure that no employee has the ability to delete warrants off the system.
I have chosen a Vice Chair for Public Safety Senator Frank Blas, Jr. and will empower him with the ability to hold oversight hearings to remove any semblance of possible conflict of interest. I worked with Senator Blas in the narcotics division of GPD and I know he shares my commitment to fighting the drug epidemic on Guam. When we were both at GPD we were able to mostly eradicate the scourge of heroin on Guam in the 70s and 80s, when it too was an epidemic on Guam. We are graduates of the DEA Drug Enforcement Academy and take the interdiction of drugs seriously.
The Port has not caught any drugs coming into port in the last 5 years and this is unacceptable. I introduced Bill 272-35 in the last legislature for the creation of cargo inspection facility at the Port Authority of Guam which would screen all port cargo for drugs. Senator Moylan has picked up a similar bill this term and while I am still examining the details of that bill, I support the intent of 100% drug screening of all cargo at the Port of Guam.
/s/ Sen. Jose "Pedo" Terlaje
