During a public hearing on Bill 30, introduced by Sen. Chris Duenas, local landowner Joseph Garrido argued that there exists a general public knowledge that lands under DLM have been “stolen.”
While Garrido acknowledged he is not an expert at understanding maps, he said some properties that belonged to the government of Guam 25 to 30 years ago have suddenly turned into private properties.
“My opposition is based on accountability. There’s no accountability…and [the CLTC] is also asking for assistance, which I don’t think is very difficult to issue, to provide assistance to surveyors to do their jobs,” said Garrido.
His brother, Ben Garrido, also argued that consolidating the departments would be a “disaster” and could open up opportunities for land scams.
“To say that you want these two to be put under the administrative supervision and control of the Department of Land Management, that’s like saying the people at the commission don’t know what they’re doing,” said Ben Garrido.
“It’s nothing more than just going to be a land bank for carpetbaggers, both off-island and local carpetbaggers.”
Duenas, in his brief opening statements, said he introduced the bill because of the commissions’ history of ineffectually fulfilling its duties to meet mandates. He cited a number of public laws and executive orders that indicate this.
“For this reason, it is the intent of Bill 30 to do right to all of our people who have been wronged, in terms of execution of the programs that were designed in the institution and development of land trust and ancestral lands,” Duenas said.
Another local resident, Mike Aguon, testified against the bill, and said although the system with the commissions may not be perfect, “it works.”
“So to use your own words, senator, we’re really not righting a wrong; we would be wronging that right. And that right is, we need to get this land back to the original landowners so that they can decide,” Aguon said.
