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Business as usual at Lt. Gov.’s office
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Posted on Aug 12 2008
It is business as usual at Lt. Gov. Timothy Villagomez’s office on Capital Hill yesterday.
Villagomez’s legal counsel, Theresa Kim, said the Lt. Governo’s office is open. She refused to issue further comments.
An employee at the administration building told Saipan Tribune that the lieutenant governor went briefly to his office yesterday.
The official’s two secretaries, however, refused to answer question whether Villagomez reported for work.
Press secretary Charles Reyes Jr. said he did not see Villagomez in his office.
Asked whether Villagomez had communicated with Gov. Benigno Fitial yesterday, Reyes replied, “Not to my knowledge.”
“The governor is very content to allow the legal process to unfold according to law,” the press secretary said.
With respect to the position of Commerce Secretary, Reyes said Deputy Secretary Michael Ada is the acting Secretary since James A. Santos is on leave.
As of yesterday, Santos has not yet been removed as Commerce Secretary, Reyes said.
“Again, at a later date, he [Fitial] may decide to remove Santos or any Cabinet member for that matter pursuant to his constitutional authority,” Reyes said.
“Mr. Michael Ada is a very good man. Usually when the Secretary of Commerce is away, Michael Ada becomes the acting Secretary,” he added.
Once the Secretary is not available for whatever reason, Reyes said, the Deputy Secretary assumes responsibility for the Commerce Department.
Villagomez, Santos, his wife Joaquina Villagomez Santos, and former Commonwealth Utilities Corp. executive director Anthony Guerrero were indicted on charges of conspiring to bilk CMMI and U.S. governments out of thousands of dollars through business deals involving needless chemical purchases for CUC.
