THE adjustments that the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. made to the water bills of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ residence in As Teo are “highly suspect,” according to House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations Chair Celina Babauta.
She raised this concern after CUC Executive Director Gary Camacho recounted that in November 2019, the governor called him to complain about the volume of water usage that was registering on the meter “immediately outside his property.”
Camacho said an “isolation process” was initiated and CUC installed a new meter registered under the name of Jack Torres, the governor’s brother.
The process was completed in May 2020, and since then Jack Torres has been paying for his own bills, separate from the consumption at the governor’s residence, Camacho said.
So, for example, of the governor’s $99,724 water bill, $11,000 of the amount was billed to Jack Torres, Camacho added.
Asked by Rep. Vicente Camacho to what extent this water consumption was related to a piggery located next to the governor’s residence in As Teo, the CUC official said he was not aware of a piggery operation in the area.
But he said the process to separate the water consumption of Jack Torres from the governor’s was critical in determining the water consumption at the governor’s house.
According to Babauta, however, “I find it highly suspect because the adjustment is being made to Governor Torres’ account as of last week. However, you are sitting here in front of us claiming that the adjustments were happening since 2019 and 2020.”
She asked CUC’s Camacho, “What prompted CUC to install new meters?
The CUC official replied, “It was because of the governor’s inquiry and request to separate the billings.”
Describing the matter as “quite perplexing and confusing,” Rep. Edwin Propst said he wanted to know if after all these years that Jack Torres had been operating a piggery in As Teo, “he now owes CUC $11,000? Is that correct?”
“Yes, that is correct,” CUC’s Camacho said. The outstanding arrears go back to February 2019, and Jack Torres has been paying for monthly usage since May 2020.
Babauta concluded the hearing by saying that the governor has been consistently delinquent in paying for his CUC bills, and was given preferential treatment, even though his utility bills reached $119,000 for his private residence based on the records the committee has received.
“I find it highly suspicious that after a subpoena has been issued to CUC, adjustments are being made to the governor’s utility accounts. As late as last week, a $90,000 adjustment was made, and $11,000 was transferred to Jack Torres’ account.”
Rep. Edwin Propst, left, asks a question to Commonwealth Utilities Corp. Executive Director Gary Camacho, back to the camera, during the House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations hearing in the House chamber on Monday.
