The governor's "soldiers" answered the maga'haga's call to service. That's how Pacific Star quarantine manager Rebecca Respicio describes how directors and deputy directors ended up staffing the Government of Guam's COVID-19 facilities.

"We have been really getting a beating from the community. I mean, we haven't exactly taken the time to defend ourselves because, like honestly, we are just staying focused on the mission," Respicio said. "Although what's been happening has taken a hit on the morale honestly it really hasn't faltered us we have not felt the need to want to stop doing this. To just wash our hands of this process we understand that we were called to execute the governor's executive order and the mission remains."

During KUAM's Containing COVID interactive talk show Respicio said when the governor needed something done, she knew who to call - even though Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio's political hires had no experience in running a public health quarantine facility.

"So, of course, the governor's going to call on her soldiers," Respicio said. "But when immediately then asked why not the National Guard. I can't really speak to that - they were eventually activated."

She greed that Adelup left the quarantined cabinet hung out to dry and that Policy Director Carlo Branch's example of Respicio and Guam Housing Corporation head Alice Taijeron - providing towels for guests in the middle of the night was not an accurate representation of how hard they work.

"Housekeeping duties is a complete understatement," Respicio stated. "With regard to the responsibility that we have we're not running a hotel, we're running a quarantine facility."

Respicio said social media and public comments have hit hard.

"We know that the job we're doing is working and we are still staying focused on the mission, regardless of the community's punches," she said. "You know, as well as Alice, our names and our character have been questioned throughout the community."

And what about the controversial 15% COVID differential pay directors and deputy directors are supposed to be getting for quarantine work? Respicio said pay was never an issue.

"There was no talk of pay there was no talk of well, we're going to get paid to do something that's risky," she said.

As far as the all-important topic of whether Respicio planned to accept the pay or not, she replied, "I'm going to be honest with you and I'm going to tell you that for me, I have not done one single timesheet relative to my COVID hours. I mean, again, it's just because that wasn't a priority, but it's not to say that I'm just going to say that. I also haven't had time to really track my hours, this has just been so crazy.

"We knew it was completely risky. We're going to be working with passengers we knew based on what the world was going through we knew we're going to be putting ourselves at risk so the volunteers that stepped up volunteered and basically said, 'We don't have the details, we don't know if we're going to get paid.' That's not the goal, that doesn't matter to us. We know that we have to keep the island safe."