It has been several days since Kandit first asked – then doggedly followed up with – Guam Homeland Security-Office of Civil Defense public affairs officer Jenna Blas whether her agency’s custodian of records ever complied with a subpoena by the foreman of the Grand Jury. The subpoena commanded the custodian’s appearance and production of procurement documents related to Typhoon Mawar preparation and recovery.
The subpoena required the custodian’s appearance and production of documents by 2 p.m. June 23 before the Grand Jury.
Ms. Blas, every day, has been replying to Kandit’s follow up messages with “working on it.” Today, Kandit asked, “Will [we] get answers today?” She did not reply.
Attorney General Douglas Moylan, whose office is investigating GHS-OCD’s use of emergency procurement to pay a radio station partly owned by the governor up to $60,000 for a two-week propaganda show in favor of the governor’s recovery response efforts, confirmed the GHS-OCD is fighting the subpoena.
GHS-OCD is a division of a larger governmental unit called Executive Direction, which is under the auspices of the governor’s office. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and her key staff assume command roles, which envelope GHS-OCD, during times of disaster and in response to disasters.
In fact, it was her director of communications, Krystal Paco-San Agustin, who requested the procurement of the radio station. The propaganda show was led by two of the governor’s advisors, former journalists Jayne Flores and Carlotta Leon Guerrero. The advisors, for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening every weekday, were essentially applauding their boss’s leadership during the recovery, and not allowing criticisms of the governor’s performance or otherwise absence.
Mr. Moylan announced his investigation shortly after The Guam Daily Post exposed the scandalous procurement. Last week, documents revealed a grand jury had been formed around a criminal investigation by the attorney general, and that the procurement documents were commanded from the GHS-OCD custodian of records.
Two days prior to the appointed grand jury appearance, the four attorneys working at the governor’s office filed a motion to quash the subpoena.
“GHS is fighting our subpoena and it’s before Judge Gutierrez,” Mr. Moylan said. “Currently there is a briefing schedule set for legal briefs and oral arguments thereafter.”
