FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (May 14, 2012 – Hagåtña) – Over 200 AmeriCorps members under the Serve Guam! Commission are serving our community through various activities and programs that supplement the government and the community in areas that require additional resources. These programs serve Guam’s youth, individuals with disabilities, and university students, among other occasional large-scale activities where members get involved.

In April 2011, the Serve America Act was expanded to require that all individuals who volunteer through a federally-funded program and volunteer to interact with “vulnerable populations,” such as children and the elderly, be subject to a federal criminal history check in addition to their state criminal history checks. It is, however, an FBI policy that only certain law enforcement or state statutorily authorized agencies and organizations may submit requests on behalf of employers.

Senator Vicente (ben) Cabrera Pangelinan introduced Bill 455-31 that would require the Superior Court of Guam’s Office of the Deputy Marshal to request for FBI clearances for AmeriCorps members upon request.

“The work of our AmeriCorps members has grown into a very successful, effective movement towards improvement on our island, and we have to make sure that they are able to continue to do this great work,” says Pangelinan (D-Barrigada). “We must also make sure that AmeriCorps members are able to continue to support our manhoben and manåmko’ but at the same time secure their protection.”

For further information, please contact the Offices of Senator ben pangelinan at 473-4236 or email atsenbenp@guam.net.

Click here for Bill 455-31

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (May 6, 2012– Hagåtña) – In an effort to maintain accountability and transparency, Senator Vicente (ben) Cabrera Pangelinan introduced Bill 452-31 which provides full, public disclosure of all court and out-of-court settlements of claim that involve “public departments, agencies, branches, corporations, and funds,” the bill states.

Pangelinan says that the bill promotes serving the public interest and strengthens public trust in the actions of our government officials as protectorates of public affairs. “If settlements are made on behalf of the people of Guam, it is only just that these settlements be made available for public review,” says the senator.

“Access to information is a cornerstone of our democracy and full and open records must be available to the public who can then determine for themselves if the actions of its representatives are aligned with the public interest or those of connected special and monied interests,” stated the senator from Barrigada.

According to the senator, this proposal prevents future conflicts in which a public agency will attempt to withhold information that is necessary for public scrutiny such as the recent news reports regarding the Committee on Health’s subpoena duces tecum and GMHA’s attempt to quash the order made by the Committee.

“When we are faced with issues concerning public agencies and/or the use of public funds, there should never be an opportunity to prevent the public from access or gaining information about these issues,” says the senator.

For further information, please contact the Offices of Senator ben pangelinan at 473-4236 or email at senbenp@guam.net.

Public Law 30-193 created the designation of I Milåyan i Mås Takhilo’ na Sakrifisiu (The Medal of the Ultimate Sacrifice), which will be presented to honor our fallen soldiers and sailors from Guam who were killed in action during WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. I Liheslaturan Guahan has been working closely with numerous veteran organizations on Guam and off-island to identify these soldiers and sailors, and a list has been compiled. Pursuant to law, the medal will be presented to the surviving spouse, a surviving child in the absence of a surviving spouse, a surviving grandchild in the absence of a surviving child, or a surviving parent in the absence of a surviving spouse or child.

If you believe you are a family member or know a family member who may be related to a fallen soldier/sailor, we ask you to contact the following offices to confirm he or she is on the list no later than Friday, May 11, 2012:

Please call Lisa Dames or Selina Onedera-Salas at the Office of Senator Ben Pangelinan at 473-4236 or send email to cipo@guamlegislature.org or sonedera-salas@guamlegislature.org

Steve Dierking at the Office of Speaker Judith Won Pat at 472-3586 or via email at steve@judiwonpat.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (April 19, 2012– Hagåtña) – Speaker Judith T. Won Pat, Senator Vicente (ben) Cabrera Pangelinan, and Senator Tina Muna Barnes are the primary sponsors of Bill No. 407-31 which is now known as Public Law 30-193 and created the designation of I Milåyan i Mås Takhilo’ na Sakrifisiu (The Medal of the Ultimate Sacrifice).

All public and private school students in grades K-12 were invited to enter artwork that will be used in the design of the Medal that has resulted in hundreds of entries. On Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21, the art entries will be displayed at the Guam Premium Outlet (GPO) for public display. Judging will take place at 11:00am on Sunday, April 21 at GPO.

The judges will be officers of the Veterans Commission and members of veterans’ organizations on Guam. The announcement of the winner of the contest and the presentation of the medals to the families will be held on Sunday, May 27, 2012 at the Guam Legislature. Also on this day, there will be the unveiling of the Roll for I Milåyan i Mås Takhilo’ na Sakrifisiu which will be displayed temporarily at the Guam Legislature until such time that the renovated Guam Congress Building is complete. Details for the event will be announced at a later time.

We invite the public to come by GPO this weekend to see the artwork and the amazing talent from our school children.

For more information, please contact the Office of Senator Pangelinan at 473-4236 or the Office of the Speaker at 472-3586.

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (April 12, 2012 – Hagåtña) – Senator Vicente (ben) C. Pangelinan and Speaker Judith T. Won Pat have announced that the art contest for I Milåyan i Mås Takhilo’ na Sakrifisiu (the Medal of the Greatest Sacrifice) has been extended through 5:00 pm, April 20, 2012.

The winning entry will be used for the design of the Medal which will be presented to surviving family members of Guam’s soldiers and sailors who were killed in combat. The Medals will be presented on May 27, 2012.

All students in grades K-12 are invited to submit entries on or before 5:00 pm April 20, 2012 to the Office of Speaker Won Pat at the Guam Legislature building in Hagåtña.

Students who wish to participate in the contest may download the template and instructions at www.senbenp.com. For more information, please call the Office of Senator Pangelinan at 473-4236/7 or the Office of Speaker Won Pat at 472-3586.

For further information, please contact the Offices of Senator ben pangelinan at 473-4236 or email at senbenp@guam.net

CLICK HERE FOR THE TEMPLATE AND INSTRUCTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (April 12, 2012 – Hagatna) – SenatorVicente (ben) Cabrera Pangelinan today issues the following statement to clarify the circumstances of his off-island absence. Senator Pangelinan planned his trip to attend to some personal matters. He is traveling at his own expense to attend to these matters. Session was scheduled without his input. He attempted to change his travel dates whensession was called, but unfortunately this was not possible. He informed the Speaker, the Vice-Speaker and the Majority Leader as soon as he determined that he could not change his itinerary and that he would not be present at the session called for April 12, 2012. Senator Pangelinan did not request that the session be cancelled nor was he consulted prior to its cancellation. He is expected to retum sometime before the end of the month. His office continues to maintain normal operating hours and continues to assist the people.

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (April 5, 2012 – Hagåtña) – Senator Vicente (ben) Cabrera Pangelinan (D), Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, Taxation, Public Debt, Banking, Insurance, Retirement & Land (Committee) sent a letter to the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), requesting the PUC hold an additional public hearing and to televise it live to the homes of ratepayers regarding the Guam Power Authority (GPA) Base Rate Increase and Cost of Service allocation changes. The Senator offered the PUC use of the Guam Legislature’s Public Hearing, which has live television broadcasting capabilities.

Pangelinan provided public testimony at the Tuesday, April 3rd PUC Base Rate Increase and Cost of Service allocation Public Hearing and was concerned at the complexity of the issues surrounding civilian ratepayers of the GPA. “I commend the PUC in conducting the required public hearings as mandated by law,” stated Senator Pangelinan. “What was of concern was that the public may not fully understand why there are proposed increases in their power bills and/or how they may be able to take part in the process.”

Section 12001.1, Article 2, Chapter 12, Title 12 of the Guam Code Annotated outlines the “Ratepayers’ Bill of Rights” to which Pangelinan believes conducting an additional public hearing utilizing the Guam Legislature’s television broadcasting capabilities will bring greater transparency to the already complex issues and processes. “This will provide a medium from which the GPA, under the purview of the PUC, can truly empower the ratepayers with the knowledge and understanding of the Base Rate Increases and changes in the Cost of Service allocations that may, once again, eat into our residents’ already diminishing quality of life,” stated the Senator from Barrigada. “I encourage the public to tune in to the Guam Legislature’s channel or come down to this and other public hearings so that they may be able to voice their concerns, questions, and comments regarding these power rate changes.”

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (April 3, 2012 – Hagåtña) – Immediately recognizing the declining trend in the number of visitors to the island, Senator Vicente (ben) Cabrera Pangelinan introduced Bill 350-30 (now Public Law 30-143) in March 2010 which repealed the exemption of the Hotel Occupancy Tax for transactions involving all local, federal, and foreign government agencies/instrumentalities.

The exemption applies to all government personnel who seek lodging with Guam’s hospitality industry and whose hotel stay charges did not previously include the 11% tax (per occupancy per day).

As noted in the OPA’s Highlights in the recently released Audit of the Tourist Attraction Fund, there was an increase in revenue of about $731,000 between Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 despite the decrease in visitor arrivals.

Largely supported by the Guam Visitors Bureau and the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association, the intent of PL 30-143 to “safeguard the revenue stream supporting the industry… in providing the resources needed for this industry to evolve progressively” has been fulfilled.

“We already understand, based on experience, that when it comes to tourism there are many factors we have to consider and plan for,” says Pangelinan (D-Barrigada). “At the time that I introduced the bill, there was no way to foresee the catastrophe in Japan or other unexpected outcomes, and this is why we have to be proactive in seeking solutions that sometimes include altering existing measures to maintain and reclaim control over our current revenue stream.”

For further information, please contact the Offices of Senator ben pangelinan at 473-4236 or email at senbenp@guam.net.

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (March 29, 2012– Hagåtña) –Senator Vicente (ben) Cabrera Pangelinan, D-Barrigada, sent another letter to Attorney General Leonardo Rapadas, imploring him to seek legal action against the Department of Administration (DOA) for withholding government funds from the taxpayers of Guam. Senator Pangelinan cites the Unified Judiciary’s warning of legal action that the DOA has not disbursed the cash to the Judicial Branch even when actual revenues are exceeding budgeted revenues according to the DOA’s Consolidated Revenue and Expenditure Reports.

“Similar to the situation with the Judiciary, the DOA continues to divert the cash collected for Income Tax Refunds for Tax Year 2011 away from the taxpayers of Guam,” stated Senator Pangelinan. “I have urged and continue to urge the Attorney General to protect the taxpayers of Guam in accordance with his duties under Title 5 of the Guam Code Annotated and prosecute the public officials that continue to ignore the laws of Guam by withholding government funds through their failure to deposit of Income Tax Refunds in accordance with Chapter 51 of Title 5 of the Guam Code Annotated.”

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