by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - Mary Torres is no longer the General Manager of the Port Authority of Guam. During a board meeting Wednesday, members approved a motion for Joanne Brown to take over her position permanently. Torres said that she acknowledges their decision to replace her but she is disappointed that despite her positive and noteworthy accomplishments over the past ten months the board chose to dismiss her from her duties. Torres said that most of all "I am appalled and saddened that six employees, most of them , long time members of the Port's family have lost their jobs as a result of a politically motivated investigation".

On Tuesday, 6 employees were terminated at the Port related to an ongoing investigation into leave and workman's compensation issues. They were: Corporate Services Manager Vivian Leon, Personnel Services Administrator Francine Roccio, Port Marketing Administrator Bernadette Stern Meno, Controller Jose "Jojo" Guevera, Program Coordinator Josette Javelosa, and Personnel Specialist Frances Arriola.

Torres explained that the investigation centered on workman's compensation issues, a request for funding for off-island medical treatment and a travel request or TA involving an employee who was injured in September 2011, five months before she was appointed by the board. Torres said she relied on prior approvals and after obtaining additional information from the Safety Administrator she subsequently approved the TA, which was then routed to Adelup as required by the Chief of Staff and was flagged.

Torres said she was accused of misconduct for her actions. She further alleges Chief of Staff Frank Arriola offered to have her transferred to become the General Manager of GVB, "He told me in no uncertain term that my options were to go to GVB, resign or be fired by the board."

Torres also went after the Port's Legal Counsel, Mike Phillips and John Bell and their report into the alleged actions of the employees in question She said his report was filled with "inaccuracies, distortions and poorly reasoned legal conclusions." She added the report was obviously drafted with the intention of reaching a pre-determined result, "which was not surprising because the employee who was seeking worker compensation was perceived to be a political enemy of the Governor allegedly responsible for altering the Calvo-Tenorio platform known as Blueprint 2020," she stated. Torres went on to say that Arriola directly told her that this entire exercise was all about getting this employee fired and you are "collateral damage".

Meanwhile former Governor Felix Camacho was at today's board meeting and joined his sister at this afternoon's press conference. He said he was fully aware of the political maneuvering that has occurred. He said he was surprised Governor Calvo allowed this process to get out of hand "it's like a runaway train". Camacho added that it's disturbing for him as a republican former governor to see what has occurred under a republican administration, " not only to Mary but to six employees as part of the key management of the Port Authority of Guam, there is much at stake administratively with all the initiatives the Port is facing moving forward and bringing in Joanne Brown does not provide enough stability when you have the core of management that has been gutted ," Camacho stated.

KUAM News has confirmed that three of the employees who were terminated have already filed an appeal with the Civil Service Commission.

Late this afternoon at Adelup Governor Eddie Calvo said the matter at the Port was not politically motivated, " I appointed all the members of this board and I recommended the management team, so how the events have turned out of course I am disappointed ," he said. "But at this point the board has to do its job and the management team has to do its job as long as whatever they do is in the best interest of the port and most importantly the people of Guam and we'll leave it at that," he added.