Employees of the Northern Islands mayor’s office were cleaning and re-painting the former district office of the Washington representative when the Variety visited the office on Capital Hill yesterday.
“The letter [of complaint from a ‘concerned citizen’] was already referred to [the Office of Public Auditor’s] investigation section and a preliminary inquiry on the facts of the issue will be done so our investigators can advise Mr. [Mike] Pai accordingly, said OPA audit manager Ross Zapanta in an e-mail.
Zapanta said a copy of the letter was forwarded to him yesterday morning.
“It was only received late [Wednesday] afternoon … and it was not opened immediately because it was in an envelope addressed to Mr. Mike Pai and marked confidential,” Zapanta added.
“I hope that your office will look closely into this matter and officially request [Rebuenog] to vacate this post. It is not proper for her to have access to this office during this time, for there is, at the moment, no Northern Islands mayor,” part of the letter stated. A copy was forwarded to the Variety.
The letter was referring to Rebuenog’s occupation of the Northern Islands mayor’s post and office despite court orders and Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s proclamation for a March 27, 2010 special election.
Rebuenog is once again running against independent candidate Tobias Dela Cruz Aldan.
A source said job contracts at the Workforce Investment Agency were being offered in exchange for supporting Rebuenog’s candidacy.
Another source said Rebuenog told some government employees that their contracts will not be renewed if they will not vote for her.
Yesterday, Cecilia T. Celes, a Northern Islands mayor’s office staffer, said there were only 10 people working in the office, not 40
She added that Rebuenog had ceased to act as mayor effective Feb. 1, 2010 after the Supreme Court vacated a trial court’s order that declared her as the election winner.
