Ohle: ‘What power struggle?’

Assistant Attorney General Bill Ohle yesterday confirmed reports that he has resigned as legal counsel for the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, but denied speculation linking his move to the current infighting among board members.

He said he has been planning his departure since six months ago to move back to the U.S. mainland with his wife who wants to attend a four-year college there. In fact, he had informed CUC Executive Director Timothy P. Villagomez about his plan last month.

His letter of resignation, submitted on the same day the board elected a new set of officers to remove former Chairperson Rosario M Elameto, was intended to give a 90-day notice to the policy-making body.

The resignation is effective June 15, and Mr. Ohle said it is not irrevocable.

Hired by the Attorney General’s Office in May 1995, the CUC legal counsel was assigned a year later to the government-owned utility corporation. His present contract, which is renewable every two years, expires in May 2001.

“Any insinuation that I resigned because of power struggle within the board is completely false,” Mr. Ohle told in an interview. “It’s kind of pathetic.”

Sources have linked his resignation to Ms. Elameto’s ouster, saying that he has lost “the power from whom he depended so much in the past few months.”

Mr. Ohle, however, dismissed the allegation, saying such statement “is absolutely ridiculous” as he noted that his decision to leave CUC is entirely personal.

“It has nothing to do with that. I am flattered that my personal situation would become newsworthy,” he added.

Mr. Ohle expressed gratitude to Mr. Villagomez and the CUC board members whom he has had the opportunity to work with over the past four years.

He said he did not feel slighted that the board contradicted his opinion on the legality of the inclusion of the election of new officers in the agenda during last week’s meeting.

“It’s the prerogative of the board. It’s my job to express an opinion and to recommend some actions,” added Mr. Ohle.

Mr. Villagomez, who reportedly accepted the resignation, was out of the office when contacted to seek his comment, but Mr. Ohle maintained the decision would not have come immediately.

Newly elected Board Chair Jesus T. Guerrero, meanwhile, commended their legal counsel in a statement released to news agencies yesterday.

“Although I had little opportunity to work directly with Mr. Ohle, others spoke highly of both his legal skills and we thank him for his past service to the utility,” he said.

As a result of his departure, CUC will be getting a fresh legal perspective, according to Mr. Guerrero, adding that other organizational and staff changes will occur to insure that projects move forward.

Mr. Ohle came under fire in 1998 after the selection of Marubeni-Sithe as contractor of the controversial Saipan power plant. He was part of the in-house evaluation committee that included Mr. Villagomez, comptroller Yenny Tom and former CUC Technical Service Manager Mike Randall.

They recused in September 1998 following the board’s decision to hire independent consultants for the re-evaluation of the project proposals. In recent weeks, Mr. Ohle had served as spokesperson for the board on the controversial power plant.