GOVERNOR Juan N. Babauta says he has no intention to violate the law or waste taxpayers’ money.
“I certainly do not want to violate any law and I will correct the situation,” Babauta said yesterday.
Babauta was reacting to the decision of the House of Representatives not to sanction the lifting of the salary cap for Francisco I. Taitano, special assistant for customs and quarantine; Celina R. Babauta, the governor’s secretary; and Robert J. Schwalbach, his senior policy advisor.
Babauta said he had also instructed Attorney General Robert T. Torres to study the findings of the House of Representatives, which claimed that the governor could face a taxpayer’s lawsuit for alleged illegal hiring.
“I have referred the matter to the attorney general. We will be preparing a response,” Babauta said.
The governor’s legal counsel, Pamela Brown, is also reviewing existing laws and government hiring since Public Law 11-41, the existing budgetary act, was enacted in 1998.
Babauta said he would not justify his actions on “past practices.” The previous administration made similar personnel actions, which the Legislature did not sanction.
Brown yesterday said that based on her research, “it is very clear” that autonomous agencies are part of the executive branch and the salary ceiling applies to the entire executive branch.
“That includes autonomous agencies,” Brown said.
The administration is making sure that it is not expending public funds illegally, she added.
The administration also wants to ensure that no government employee will be sued for failure to implement P.L. 11-41.
