Froilan: Collect $12M from gov’t

The government is less likely to collect the $12.5 million damages from former Gov. Froilan Tenorio after he inadvertently admitted his lack of financial capability to pay it off.

If the high court decides to uphold the recent ruling of Special Judge Benjamin J.F. Cruz, the former governor said the court might as well collect the amount from the government.

Even the 10 percent bond requirement set by the court ruling will be impossible for him to raise not to mention lawyer’s fee and other miscellaneous charges, Mr. Tenorio told a press conference.

A month after the Supreme Court threw out his motion to reconsider a June 1997 court ruling, Mr. Tenorio came out in the open yesterday to deny allegations of misappropriating over $12 million government funds by reprogramming appropriations to scholarship program, and to justice and treasury departments.

Mr. Tenorio branded Judge Cruz’s decision as a violation of separation of powers and a precedent to future litigation against government heads.

“Governors have to be able to govern without the fear that their families will suffer if they or the Attorney General makes a decision that a court later says is wrong. It will have a chilling effect on any future governor who has the guts to make tough decisions for the benefit of the people,” he said.

The re-channeling of public funds was due to the absence of 1993 and 1994 budget and the insurmountable financial problem faced by the administration at that time.

He said he was forced to reprogram the public funds to pay off Mitsubishi, to settle the Treasury case, to purchase inexpensive government vehicles, for the scholarship fund and to give judges the needed salary raise.

“The lights didn’t go out, we kept meeting the government payroll, we saved some money on cars, the kids stayed in college. Did the CNMI get fair value from the money that was spent? Yes,” the former governor pointed out.

He maintained his innocence that despite the reprogramming of funds, he did not break any law since the administration then was operating on a continuing resolution.

Mr. Tenorio also blasted lawyer Ted Mitchell for coming up with a self definition of a public purpose which he claimed was not in existence during his term.

“The AG said we can appropriate anything so long it won’t exceed the funding level. Mr. Mitchell is only using the government, and I won’t allow people like that to just walk over the CNMI Constitution,” he said. (EGA)