GOVERNOR Ralph DLG Torres on Thursday said he remains confident that the Senate will be fair in the impeachment proceedings.
He noted that this is all he has been asking of the House of Representatives as well: fairness.
But the governor added that the inclusion of one of his 2022 gubernatorial election opponents, Democrat Rep. Tina Sablan, in the House Special Investigating Committee on Impeachment, “says it all.”
He said he is certain that the lawmaker will vote for his impeachment as it will mean one less election opponent for her.
Sablan has stated that she would vote for impeachment, adding that her position is based on “two years of extensive review of thousands of pages of the governor’s records of expenditures, and hours upon hours of hearings with witnesses who testified under oath that led her to conclude that Torres has abused his powers as governor and that these abuses rise to the level of impeachment.”
Torres has denied the allegations against him.
At least 15 of the 20 House members are expected to vote for impeaching the governor. They are either supporting Sablan for governor or the independent candidate, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios.
Once the governor is impeached by the House, the Senate will hold a trial. Torres will be removed from office if at least six of the nine senators vote for his conviction.
One of the nine senators is the governor’s running mate, Vinnie F. Sablan.
Asked if his running mate would recuse himself from the Senate trial, the Republican governor said he is certain that the Republican-led Senate will be fair in its proceedings.
“I can assure you, I have every confidence that [the Senate] will take every angle into consideration and give me that opportunity of fairness,” Torres added.
Ralph DLG Torres
