by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Bureau of Budget and Management Research director John Rios responds to Senator Ben Pangelinan's claims he's misinforming the public. At issue is whether a certification letter was required by law prior to the Calvo Administration's payout in December of $4.5 million in merit bonuses.

Rios maintains that the law is not applicable in this instance because the bonuses were prior year liabilities and were not charged to current year appropriations.

Senator Pangelinan has said that was not true because the government's as-400 financial management system showed otherwise. "That is one of the screens in the AS/400, so I think he's looking at the wrong screen what I have asked department of administration to do is provide him information on the accounting screens so he could see where those payments were made from," he explained.

Senator Pangelinan has said Rios' attempt to mislead the public will not be tolerated.