SPECIAL Assistant for Administration Mathilda “Keko” Rosario on Thursday answered questions pertaining to the inventory of items that, according to the House leadership, “appear to be unaccounted for” in the office of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres.
Rosario was accompanied by her legal counsel, Viola Alepuyo. In the gallery were Rosario’s family members and friends.
Rosario testified in Chamorro, and her answers were translated by Florence Kirby, a certified translator, who was brought in by the committee.
Chaired by Rep. Celina Babauta, the House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations showed Rosario a copy of the letter she sent in August last year to Rep. Ralph Yumul who was then the chairman of the bipartisan Special Committee on Fiscal Review of Executive Expenditures.
In the letter, Rosario informed Yumul that she was providing the special committee information on the make, model numbers and government tag numbers of all the electronic equipment, devices, kitchen equipment, including stove burners, coolers, gun, rifle or other firearm cases in the governor’s office.
Asked on Thursday if she was able to track down the make, model and tag number of the items, Rosario said there were items that were not numbered.
Asked by Rep. Tina Sablan if she looked at the items requested by the special committee last year, Rosario said no because she said she trusts that the employees in the governor’s office would ensure that the items on the list were all there.
Sablan asked Rosario about the following items: Nikon D3400 camera, Bose speakers, rifle cases, Windburner personal stove, 70-quart coolers, Jabra Extreme headsets and Bose QuietControl wireless headphones.
The JGO committee wants to know if these “appear to be personal expenses or are otherwise unaccounted for.”
Rosario spoke in Chamorro. Her answers were then translated by Kirby.
Rosario told the committee: I am not sure if these things were there in the governor’s office.
Asked if she had seen the items on the inventory list, Rosario said: There are those that I have seen, some I have not seen.
Asked if the items are on the list she submitted to the special committee last year, Rosario, after listening to her legal counsel translate the question, said: I cannot answer that question until I have an opportunity to compare the list that I submitted previously and what you have provided to me this morning.
Rosario also said that the Procurement & Supply Division tags and makes an inventory of the items bought by the governor for his office.
Asked if she reviews the governor’s requests for reimbursements for the items he buys for his office, Rosario said, no.
“So who does?” Rep. Edwin Propst asked.
Not sure who, Rosario replied.
Asked if she has seen the governor seek reimbursement for office supplies not included in the inventory, Rosario said: I don’t know.
Asked who is authorized to buy items for the governor’s office, she said the employee who works directly for the governor.
Asked who would that be, Rosario said: Frances Dela Cruz, the governor’s executive secretary.
“Who else?” Propst asked.
She’s the only one I know, Rosario said.
“Have you ever asked a non-employee to purchase items for the Office of the Governor?” Propst asked.
No, Rosario replied.
“Has anyone else from the Office of the Governor ever asked a non-employee to buy items for the Office of the Governor?” Propst asked.
I don’t know, Rosario replied.
Asked by Rep. Richard Lizama about damaged items, Rosario said Procurement & Supply staff would come and decide which item was usable or not usable.
Asked how many items were damaged, Rosario said it’s hard to provide an exact number because shortly after she was appointed as special assistant for administration or SAA in 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the CNMI so there was no activity whatsoever. She also pointed out that there were other special assistants for administration before her.
As SAA, Rosario said she had counted eight to 10 air-conditioning units, typewriters and computers that were no longer usable.
The hearing started at 10 a.m. and recessed at 12 noon for lunch. It resumed at 1:30 p.m. and ended at 5 p.m.
The hearing will resume today, July 16, at 1:30 p.m.
The other members of the House JGO committee are Reps. Donald Manglona, Vicente Camacho and Vice Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao, the lone Republican on the panel.
Accompanied by her legal counsel, Viola Alepuyo, left, Special Assistant for Administration Mathilda “Keko” Rosario is sworn in at the start of the House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operation’s hearing on Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ public expenditures in the House chamber on Thursday.
