Monsignor: Archbishop's statements on finances 'absolutely wrong'

By Gaynor Dumat-Ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
August 6, 2014

http://www.guampdn.com/article/20140806/NEWS01/140806004/-No-heading-

Joseph Rivera, former director of the Bureau of Budget and Management Research who also served on the church's finance committee, spoke at a press conference this morning in front of Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica.

Monsignor James Benavente responded directly to Archbishop Anthony Apuron, in a letter sent today, on Apuron's previous public statements of financial mismanagement and financial record-keeping problems under Benavente's watch.

Some of the archbishop’s statements were “absolutely wrong,” Benavente wrote.

A group of Guam financial experts also held a press conference this morning, saying the archbishop’s statements weren't factual.

On Apuron's public statement that the Catholic Cemeteries of Guam used land that was not under its name, but was instead under the Archdiocese of Agana, as collateral for a loan, Benavente wrote:

“Regarding the recording of the land at the Catholic Cemeteries as an asset, the Deloitte & Touche (letter) acknowledges this correction in their letter of Jan. 8, 2014. It should be noted that before the Deloitte audit, the only persons who could have have known that the land was also recorded on the Archdiocese books was you, as archbishop, and Deacon Dominic Kim. Additionally, your letter is absolutely wrong in stating that the property was used to secure a loan.... This clarification was pointed out to Deacon Kim in 2012, and a copy of that letter was also given to you."

• On the archbishop's public statement that the recording of building assets was duplicated and construction project documents couldn’t be found, Benavente wrote:

"The initial financial statement of the Catholic Cemeteries did include a duplication of building assets but this item was corrected very early on in the review process. Even the Deloitte & Touche letter dated Jan. 8, 2014 acknowledges this correction. Your letter of July 31, 2014 to the media inaccurately states that after seven months the construction documents for (Catholic Cemeteries projects) have yet to be produced. Copies of the actual construction documents were submitted to your finance officer, Dominic Kim, who requested them."

"In summary, out of the five allegations contained in your letter to the media of July 31, 2014, two had already been resolved prior to the Jan. 8, 2014 letter from Deloitte to you, and two others were corrected and submitted to Deacon Kim with the May 21, 2014 transmittal,"

“The final item is being worked on and could have been completed before the deadline of Aug. 15 you had set for us in your June 26 letter,” Benavente wrote. “However, because the records were confiscated by the new administration, we are unable to complete the work begun.”

Apuron fired Benavente from being the rector of the Dolce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica and as the Catholic Cemeteries director more than a week ago, stating that the Cathedral-Basilica and the Catholic Cemeteries had been poorly managed.

Financial experts who were privy to the archdiocesan finances held today's press conference on the front steps of the Dulce Nombre De Maria Cathedral-Basilica to state that the archbishop’s public statements didn't match with facts.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," said Joe Rivera, former GovGuam budget director. Rivera was joined by Art Ilagan, Rev and Tax commissioner; Rick Duenas; Gerald Taitano, president of the Agana Cathedral-Basilica Parish Council, and Richard Untalan, former president of the Archdiocesan Finance Council, at the press conference, held outside the Cathedral-Basilica.