“HOW can it be disrespectful? Every individual has a right to be represented by an attorney,” said Gov. Ralph DLG Torres when asked about the comments made by the House Judiciary and Governmental Operations committee chair, Rep. Celina R. Babauta.
“Every person that has been subpoenaed [by the committee] has the right to legal counsel,” Torres said. “How do you deny that? And if a [government employee] has to exercise their right, who pays for that? Obviously, it’s the government. Who do you blame for that? She’s the one who gave us the subpoena,” he said, referring to Babauta. “If there was no subpoena, [then] there would [be no charges for] legal fees.”
Torres noted that Office of the Attorney General declined to represent the executive branch officials and employees subpoenaed by the House JGO committee.
“You know what’s more sad here actually? It’s when your right to speak Chamorro and Refaluwasch was denied. That’s the most embarrassing part. Not the legal fees,” the governor added.
In a previous statement, Torres blamed the House JGO for the over $121,000 in legal fees incurred by the executive branch.
Babauta, for her part, said blaming her committee “is utterly disrespectful to our Constitution. It is a perfect example of his failure to take responsibility for his actions and emblematic of his habit of blaming everyone but himself for his misconduct in office.”
She said the governor “has no shame [and] has no respect.”
The governor, who has been impeached by the House, will now be tried by the Senate. He will be removed from office if at least six of the nine senators vote for his conviction.
He has been accused of commission of felonies, corruption, and neglect of duty. He has denied the allegations.
Torres said he will personally pay attorneys Anthony Aguon and Viola Alepuyo to represent him, while Office of the Governor legal counsel Gil Birnbrich and Washington D.C.-based attorney Ross Garber will be legal counsel on behalf of the government in the Senate impeachment trial.
The proceedings are pending the adoption of Senate impeachment rules, which are currently being drafted by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Government, Law and Federal Relations, and the Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations.
The committees are scheduled to meet 9 a.m. this Friday, Feb. 25, in the Senate chamber.
