By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

THE volunteer group that asked for information on lawmakers’ expenditures has received the requested documents from the office of Sen. Maria T. Pangelinan, the first senator to do so.
“So far, only Senator Pangelinan has submitted her expenditures (along with Rep. Stanley T. Torres),” Tina Sablan, spokeswoman for the group, told Variety in an e-mail yesterday.
She said that in the next couple of days, “we will be sending out a follow-up letter to the legislators, providing a report format that we would like them to follow.”
Sablan said their group will also request supporting documentation such as invoices to accompany their reports.
Pangelinan, D-Saipan, provided the group with a four-page expense report and a solicitation letter from Marianas High School as an example of the community events and activities that take up a lot of the senator’s budget.
In an e-mail, her office stated that “though (the senator) has mixed feelings on this issue (providing expenditure info to the group), she believes that this should be looked into.”
Pangelinan’s office spent $16,875 from Jan. 2006 to Sept. 2006.
Her office was appropriated $116,250 in three quarters which was reduced to $87,144 as a result of the budget cut amounting to $29,106.
Expenses during the period totaled $83,286, itemized as follows: personnel salaries of $63,617; public education, $1,021; subscriptions, $325; printing, $61; workshop, $396; inter-island hearing and sessions (travel), $2,208; repair and maintenance, $22; fuel, $853; office supplies, $2,155; computer system, $4,102; community events/activities, $3,550; public assistance to the Northern Island Mayor’s Office, $1,060; supplies transferred to the Legislative Bureau, $1,687; polled back to the Legislature, $1,113; and communications, $4.
The senator also noted that $3,858 was returned to the general account after it incurred overall expenses of $83,286 in FY 2006.
From Oct. 2006 to March 31, 2007, Pangelinan’s office incurred total expenses of $62,093. In the first two quarters, the senator was provided with a $67,202 budget. A balance of $5,109 was carried over to the third quarter allocation.
Items included in the Oct. 2006-March 2007 expenditures included employees salaries and benefits, $45,151; austerity holiday (account still obligated), $5,700; communications, $57; subscriptions, $230; travel, $4,290; fuel, $1,529; office supplies, $800; and community events/activities, $4,336.