by Mindy Aguon

Guam - Former governor Felix Camacho may have granted pardons to several individuals before leaving office, but the crimes they were cleared of are still on court and police records. Public Safety Oversight Chair Senator Adolpho Palacios says he received complaints from two individuals who received pardons whose efforts to expunge their records were denied by the local judiciary.

To remedy the situation the Democrat lawmaker introduced Bill 53, which ensures the records of those who receive pardons are expunged or sealed from public records. "The essence of pardon in my opinion is to seal the record completely as if the person had not committed that crime for which he was pardoned which means then that if you ask for a police or court clearance that should not be reflected," the senator explained.

Palacios says there is a mechanism for law enforcement to access expunged records in certain instances.