By Gina Tabonares
Variety News Staff

FORMER Attorney General Douglas Moylan yesterday said the purchase of guns, supplies, costumes and other items during his term was necessary and done legally.
Moylan was reacting to the statements on Monday of his successor, Attorney General Alicia Limtiaco, who raised concerns about questionable purchases during Moylan’s term.
Moylan wrote an eight-page letter to Limtiaco, a copy of which was also sent to Public Auditor Doris Brook, explaining the reason behind the purchases of firearms, mascot Eric the Eagle’s costumes, generators, automotive supplies and a teleprompter for the Attorney General’s Office.
On her first day of work on Monday after returning from Washington, D.C., Limtiaco questioned the purchase of 9mm pistols, rifles, shotguns and ammunition stored on the 7th floor of the Justice Building where Moylan had his office.
Moylan, in response, said the purchase of firearms was necessary for AGO investigators and prosecutors.
“These personnel are law enforcement personnel and are similar to police officers, firefighters and corrections officers. Firearms are necessary for them to protect themselves, our personnel and members of the community when engaging in law enforcement activities such as executing arrests, search warrants and other dangerous activities,” Moylan stated in his letter.
He said firearms have been assigned to and carried by AGO investigators for decades and the existing weapons are not only scarce but many are old and dangerous.
Moylan said investigators are required to train and be certified at least every six months and the 17 pistols found are consistent with the firearms used by law enforcement throughout the nation.
Moylan reiterated that the purchases of AR-15-type rifles were processed and approved by the General Services Agency, and are appropriate for Guam’s chief law enforcement agency.
As for the storage of the guns, Moylan said his former office is the most secure location in the building because it has special security equipment and measures in place.
“As you noticed, the building is not walled but open, making access to dangerous weapons unfeasible for the lower floors. In addition, office personnel are vulnerable to violent attack and the chief investigator and I had procedures in place to protect our personnel,” Moylan said.
While recommending that the AGO not transfer the firearms to the Guam Police Department, Moylan also expressed concern at Limtiaco’s publishing the location, quantity and type of weapons that the AGO had acquired.
“One normally does not want a potential criminal to know security measures and I was advised previously that this information is also protected against disclosure under the Sunshine Act,” Moylan told Limtiaco in the letter.
Moylan also disapproved of Limtiaco’s decision to show the public the decapitated head of the mascot through television and newspaper pictures.
“It damages the illusion created for the children. Removing Eric’s head from the storage box and showing the image to potential children viewers on the news will hurt the illusion of Eric and the message which the mascot is attempting to convey,” Moylan said.
Like firearms, he said the purchase of mascot costumes, generators, bush cutters, automotive supplies, tools and a teleprompter were properly requested and approved.
Moylan also disapproved of Limtiaco’s complaints about documents in disarray, saying that she should have spoken to the employees “before disparaging them publicly.”
“All you had to do was ask the responsible employees for access to the information on all the property you displayed in the media. Your characterization that there are no standard operating procedures or procurement documents is incorrect,” Moylan added.
While offering further help to Limtiaco, Moylan reminded his successor to return his Sony VCR which he purchased personally for children visitors of the AGO’s Child Support Enforcement Division.
Limtiaco said they are still reviewing all the purchase records of the firearms, ammunition, tools and equipment.
She said she is in communication with the Office of the Public Auditor to fix the former attorney general’s financial records and come up with more systematic operations.