by Mindy Aguon

Guam - While there are still some legal questions surrounding the makeup of the Guam First Commission, Governor Eddie Calvo wants to move forward with the spirit of that organization. The chief executive announced today that he will hold a community forum next week to allow for open dialogue on concerns related to the buildup and other pressing issues on the island.

"We will work toward bringing the spirit of the Guam First Commission together," he told KUAM News. "And that means bringing together all the stakeholders that were outlined in the enabling legislation, but I do intend to expand on it because of the issues on both the executive authority and legislative authority. It's important that we bring all senators into the mix."

The Governor's Office says the forum will also allow indigenous rights groups to also participate in discussions as the Guam First Commission would have only allowed one member to represent all of their interests.

Senator Rory Respicio, who authored the measure to start the Commission, is pleased the governor is starting the process. "Whether it's the form or structure of the Guam First Commission or the fact that he gets us all in the same room to talk about these very important issues and that we have some commitment to put Guam first whenever we negotiate with the federal government. So it's a big step for the governor to recognize and I want to acknowledge what he's doing," he shared.

The governor added that he will extend an invitation for every senator to sit in during next week's forum, which will be held at Adelup. There's been no word, however, on what time the forum will be held.