FORMER Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig on Wednesday requested the House Committees on Judiciary and Governmental Operations, and Ways and Means to again reschedule his testimony because he had to find and hire legal counsel to represent him in the ongoing hearings on the Building Optimism, Opportunities, and Stability Together or BOOST program.
Atalig, who resigned last week, appeared before the joint committee hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday to make a formal request to reschedule his testimony.
He thanked the joint committee for granting his first request to reschedule his appearance initially set for Monday.
He said after he received the joint committee’s subpoena on Dec. 1, Attorney General Edward Manibusan appointed Assistant Attorney General Dustin Rollins to represent Atalig at the hearing.
But on Monday afternoon, he said he was informed by Rollins that the AG had authorized Atalig “to obtain outside legal counsel.”
Atalig said due to the “last-minute notification” to seek other counsel, “it has been difficult to find an attorney who is available, non-conflicted, and able to represent me.”
He said he was in communication with a couple of lawyers and working on a representation agreement.
However, due to a conflict in their schedules, the lawyers were not able to appear with him, Atalig said.
He added that they also advised him not to testify on Wednesday.
“I seek this joint committee’s honorable approval and grant me my right to avail [myself of] legal representation, and to reschedule my testimony before you,” he said.
The joint committee took a break for a few minutes to discuss Atalig’s request. When they resumed the hearing, Ways and Means Chairman Donald Manglona informed Atalig that they had granted his request and had rescheduled the joint hearing for Thursday, Dec. 22, at 3:30 p.m.
Also present in the joint hearing were JGO Chairwoman Celina Babauta, Vice Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao, Reps. Leila Staffler, Joel Camacho, Edwin Propst, Richard Lizama, and Corina Magofna.
Provided by the Office of the Governor, the Department of Finance, and the Department of Commerce, the BOOST program is administered by the Bank of Saipan and is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
BOOST aims to “support the viability of those businesses and the employment opportunities they offer residents of the CNMI, to further the government’s goal of a diverse economy, and to increase Commonwealth tax revenues.”
David DLG Atalig
