Statements by governor's legal counsel being called into question

Statements being made by the governor's legal counsel during a recent oversight hearing are being called into question. The oversight hearing was about the procurement of the first wave of quarantine hotels. The issues ranged from who was in charge of procurement and whether laws were actually followed.

Republican Minority Leader Sen. Telo Taitague says she received an interesting text following the controversial oversight hearing held by Sen. Sabina Perez on procurement of quarantine facilities. She told KUAM's Containing COVID interactive talk show this morning, "So there is something very fishy going on there."

It's this statement read by the governor's legal counsel that apparently led to Guam Homeland Security Advisor Tim Aguon reaching out to Sen. Taitague to clear his name.

Governor's legal counsel Haig Hyunh stated, "[On] March 17, 2020, it was discovered that the Homeland Security Director had not procured quarantine or isolation facilities as previously reported. Homeland Security's reliance on condemning a certain hotel was not approved. Legal counsels were instructed to and quickly engaged with the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association GHRA to seek hotel properties will to serve as quarantine sites."

Sen. Taitague is calling foul on that statement. 

"I think it was to the effect that what was said during that oversight hearing on procurement and what Haig had said was not true," she said. 

And it wasn't just the republican lawmaker that Aguon reached out to. Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio recalled this morning, "I did get a similar message from the HSA telling me the same thing." Tenorio says he spoke with Aguon on Saturday.

Here's the conversation from our interview on Containing COVID this morning:

Sabrina Salas Matanane: What part did he say was not true?

Lt. Gov.: Josh Tenorio: He just indicated to me that he was not instructed to do any procurement that's pretty much what it was when they were doing all the planning.

Chris Barnett: Did you hear anything?

Matanane: Wait, wait, wait. He was instructed not to?

Tenorio: What he messaged me is that he just wanted me to know that he did not was never instructed to initiate procurement at during the time when she was working with public health and GHRA he was simply trying to understand which hotels were simply willing to step forward and voluntarily be considered for to be used for quarantine. That's what he told me.

 

You may recall the lieutenant governor previously on Containing COVID said he did see some red flags with the procurement of quarantine facilities. On our show today, he said he is waiting to see the results of the audit that will be conducted by the Office of Public Accountability which was launched today.

"I just think the fair thing to do is for the independent auditors to come in issue a report and I want to take a look and see what happened," Tenorio said. "I don't want to make allegations against people I don't want to defend people if I don't know the whole thing if I'm not involved in the transaction my interest is I want to see once the independent auditor are there what happened and what needs to be done to improve the process."

As we reported Aguon wasn't the only person that took issue with what Haig read before senators. During the oversight hearing, Guam Hotel and Restaurant Authority President Mary Rhodes said they had nothing to do with the negotiations and procurement of Perlas Court and Pacific Star, despite attorney Haig's statements otherwise.  During the oversight hearing, it was revealed that invoices for quarantine hotels were paid by the Department of Administration despite the fact that there were no signed agreements. 

Meanwhile, although Sen. Perez indicated a follow-up oversight hearing none has been scheduled to date.

As for Aguon, he has been on leave tending to an ill family member.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero says she stands by the statement read by Huynh regarding Guam Homeland Security's involvement with the procurement of the first round of quarantine facilities.

Although Tenorio said Aguon told him that he was not involved with the procurement, the Governor during her press briefing said this was a responsibility of the agency and Homeland was the lead agency.

KUAM asked what Leon Guerrero's response to Tim Aguon saying he wasn't involved or didn't have a hand in this matter would be, to which she replied in her press briefing, "I can't speak for him I don't know what happened what the conversations were with you guys. Again, Homeland Security was the lead agency it was not moving as fast as it should be at least to my expectations and that's why I instructed the legal team to continue on with the negotiations so we can move on and get the facility."

KUAM has reached out to Aguon for a comment.