Articles

When in 2010 I was sworn into my position as Comptroller of Puerto Rico, I swore to defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. From that instant I committed to defending and overseeing the good use of public property and funds. I assumed this responsibility with the utmost respect for the position I hold, and with the firm commitment to serve the citizens.

The Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico has an extensive legacy of nearly seven decades of knowledge and experience, acquired in the more than 10,600 audit and investigation reports that guarantee thorough and first-hand knowledge of the best administrative practices to achieve the effective, economical, efficient, and ethical use of the government's resources for the benefit of our Puerto Rico. In fact, in the last 11 years, we have published 67 Audit Reports on the various components of the University of Puerto Rico System. That is why the situations in which an evident improper use of public property and of the scarce economic resources that should serve to provide the people's essential services is observed, are concerning.

The University of Puerto Rico is called to perform as an academic and research center, a driver of economic development and of social promotion. The students constitute one of the three important components in the equation of university governance, together with the professors and employees, in the responsible and judicious exercise of public property and funds.

The closure of some campuses translates into a loss of public funds. At the Río Piedras Campus alone, approximately $200,000 in daily payroll is paid -$5 million monthly-, without the staff being able to perform their work at full capacity, writes Yesmín Valdivieso (Vanessa Serra Díaz)

The closure of some campuses translates into a loss of public funds. At the Río Piedras Campus alone, approximately $200,000 in daily payroll is paid -$5 million monthly-, without the staff being able to perform their work at full capacity, since not all the workers can work remotely because of the work they do. If we add to that expense the cost of the closures of the other campuses, the figure would be significant.

Puerto Rico's economic situation is critical. This evidence should lead to reflection that the unnecessary, extravagant, and excessive expenditures that the Office has pointed out to the three branches of government are as reprehensible as those actions that prevent the provision, by act or omission, of essential services to citizens.

Puerto Rico deserves committed people who use public property and funds with prudence, to put them at the service of citizens. At the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico, we will continue to fulfill our responsibility to oversee and raise the voice of alert about the best use of resources for the benefit of the people.