By Trina A. San Agustin
Variety News Staff

AFTER receiving some $2.3 million from the Department of Administration last week, the Guam Public School System was able to pay its arrears to payroll vendors, according to GPSS spokesperson Gerry Cruz.
“The $1.3 million and the $1 million earlier last week totaled $2.3 million, enabling us to clear up the late payroll vendor payments,” Cruz told Variety. “Of that, $1.8 million will be given to clear up the payroll vendors and the superintendent said $500,000 will address those other GPSS vendors that fall in the categories of safety and health.”
Cruz added that GPSS Superintendent Luis Reyes is thankful to the Governor’s Office and DOA for helping the school system catch up on its payroll vendor payments, and for power and water bill payments.
It is not known at this point if the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Labor will continue to hang the Superior Court case over the school system’s head. The complaint, filed last month, forces GPSS to use any money they receive to pay off payroll vendors.
Attorney General Alicia Limtiaco earlier said her office’s position in this matter is to require GPSS to pay full or gross payroll to its employees.
The suit was filed by the AGO in the Superior Court on March 22 on behalf of the Department of Labor against GPSS and the superintendent of education.
Limtiaco earlier said that GPSS must follow the laws of Guam and pay its employees the full amount of payroll owed to them each and every payroll period, on time, without delay.
For several pay periods last month, GPSS failed to pay employee deductions or payroll vendors in direct violation of the Guam Fair Labor Standards Act and the island’s wage and hour laws.
The complaint sought an order against GPSS to protect its employees and the public from present and further harm by restraining the public school system from expending any government funds for the benefit of GPSS until all payroll deductions from gross wages of GPSS employees are paid.
Two weeks ago, Gov. Felix P. Camacho invoked his Organic Act authority to “protect the health and safety of Guam’s public school students,” ordering a payment to the Guam Power Authority to avoid the disconnection of services.