Education of CUC’s Torres scrutinized—again

Once again, the educational background of Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board member Joe Torres is being investigated to see if he is indeed qualified to stay on the board.

After passing the scrutiny of the Attorney General’s Office in October last year, Torres is being investigated now on the same issue by the Senate, the body that confirmed his appointment to his position early on.

“It’s a joke. They are investigating their own action,” said Torres in an interview.

In a June 10 letter to CUC board chair Herman P. Sablan, Sen. Paterno S. Hocog, chairman of the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations, said that no less than Senate President Joaquin S. Adriano pushed for the probe.

“Sen. Adriano…has requested my committee to investigate the educational background of CUC board member Joseph T. Torres,” Hocog told Sablan. “However, before I can initiate any investigative process, I kindly request that you provide me information relative to [Torres]’ educational background.”

Hocog said the documents Torres submitted just before his confirmation contained only his resume, and did not include copies of his AA degree in either Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration, or in Body and Fender.

Hocog asked Sablan to provide the documents within seven working days.

In his letter to Torres yesterday, Sablan asked his colleague to comply with the Senate order.

“To once and for all put this issue to rest, I am kindly requesting your cooperation to provide the document requested,” Sablan said.

For his part, Torres said he wonders why the issue has been revived at this time. “What are they up to? If they want to fire me, they can be honest; say it. No need to do an investigation,” he said.

He said that, as an appointee, he went through the whole process, including a hearing conducted by the Senate panel.

“It’s a question of their work. Did they do their work when they confirmed me?” he asked.

Torres said he had been willing to provide the needed information as requested by the AGO last year, which, he said, failed to come up with a written report after looking into his credentials.

“I gave my consent for investigation… I asked them to put it down in writing, but I was told that the AG didn’t want to put it down in writing,” he said.

Sources said the latest move on Torres, an outspoken member of the CUC board, is related to the upcoming annual board election. The election is usually held in June but the board’s majority moved it to July this year.

“He [Torres] is seen as a real threat, a constant pain that somehow spoils their plan,” said a source.

Sources said the upcoming election would be between the current chairman, Sablan, and “whoever Torres would be supporting.”

Sablan’s only “remaining ally” on the board is said to be his vice chairman, Frank Guerrero.

The CUC board is composed of members Rufina Miles, Velma Ann Palacios, Allen Perez, and Torres.

Last year, Torres’ education background was probed by the AGO’s Investigative Unit following a conflict over another board member’s appointment, Jack Borja of Tinian.

Borja, who had been confirmed by the Senate, was ordered terminated from the board by the governor on June 12, 2003 due to a lack of an Associate of Arts degree, a requirement for all CUC board members.

Torres had accused some of his colleagues as behind the AGO investigation.

When Borja was terminated, he had accused Guerrero of masterminding his ouster.

In his declaration, Torres had said that he fully satisfies the law on the educational requirement.

Torres said he holds two Associate of Arts degrees from the College of Southern Idaho, which he said he earned in the 70s. He said he holds AA in refrigeration and auto-body repair.

“I may be a tradesman but I have earned that certification of my qualifications,” he said. “I have not been ‘grandfathered’ unlike perhaps some of my colleagues.”

Torres said that as a board member, he is fully committed “to an efficient and autonomous public utility without interference and micromanagement by any entity, including the administration and the Legislature.”