Ogo wants Rota funds restored

Rota congressman Crispin Ogo is asking the legislative conference committee to restore budget cuts made by the Senate on four “priority” items: funding for a Manila liaison office and Rota liaison office on Saipan, 30 percent bonus for early retirees, and retroactive pay.

House leadership spokesman Charles Reyes Jr. said Ogo wants the conference committee to place back the House appropriation of $100,000 for the creation of a liaison office in Manila to facilitate the travel of CNMI medical patients.

“The Senate took it out from the budget. Congressman Ogo feels that it is necessary to diversify our health care, citing several advantages such as Manila’s proximity, lower cost, similar culture, and quality of services,” said Reyes.

Reyes said Ogo is also pushing for a $15,000 budget for a Rota liaison office on Saipan. “Right now, there’s no clear, regular appropriation for this. They just juggle funds every year,” he said.

Reyes said Ogo intends to fight for this program funding.

Further, he said that Ogo is petitioning the conference committee to allow a 30-percent bonus for early retires on Rota. He said the Senate agreed to such a benefit for Tinian employees, but not Rota.

Likewise, the Rota congressman favors the allocation of lapsed funds for Rota’s retroactive pay.

The House version of the 2005 budget, Reyes said, provides that these lapsed funds would be used for retroactive pay, but the Senate amended it to say that the funds may be reprogrammed by the Rota delegation through legislation.

“What the congressman wants is to make it automatic [for Rota retroactive payment],” he said.

Reyes said the House conference committee members met yesterday in preparation for a joint discussion of the 2005 budget with their Senate counterparts.

“They are getting ready. The Senate would have to meet among themselves first before they meet as a joint panel,” said Reyes.

The House committee is chaired by majority floor leader Rep. Oscar M. Babauta. Other members are representatives Norman S. Palacios, Justo S. Quitugua, Crispin Ogo, Arnold Palacios, and Jesus Attao.

The Senate panel consists of senators Joseph Mendiola, Henry H. San Nicolas, Luis P. Crisostimo, Thomas P. Villagomez, Diego M. Songao, and Paul A. Manglona.

The House has approved a $212.7 million for FY05 but the Senate raised it to $217.7 million in view of $5.1 million additional projected revenues submitted by the Babauta administration. The administration later submitted another $1.5 million additional funding available for FY05.