Committee hears bill to transfer Oka Point parcels to heirs of Frank D. Perez

The Committee on Rules of the Guam Legislature held a second public hearing June 27, 2020, on Bill 32-38 COR, a measure that would transfer specific parcels of Lot 5173 at Oka Point from government inventory to the heirs of Frank D. Perez. Witnesses for the Perez family and descendants recounted a 1951 sale, a promised transfer of construction equipment that they say never occurred, and historical affidavits meant to support the family’s claim. Opponents and some former trust officials warned the committee that removing the parcels from the Chamorro Land Trust Commission inventory could set a precedent and could deny hundreds of families potential housing and infrastructure benefits.

The bill concerns two specific parcels of Lot 5173 in Tamuning (identified in testimony as portions of Lot 5173-1): the family testimony and supporting documents in the hearing record say the original 1951 conveyance involved a reduced cash price (recorded $51,914.99) and an expected transfer of construction equipment that the Perez family says was not delivered. Supporters called the original transaction “unfulfilled.” John Cameron presented a recorded instrument and read an affidavit from former Governor Carlton Skinner stating the equipment was intended as part of the purchase price. Frankie/Gregory Perez family members and relatives described a chronology from a 1951 deed through later claims filed in the 1990s and 2010s.

Supporters framed the bill as restitution for an historic injustice. Catherine Flores McCollum said, “I will continue to support all future land return.” Aroborito, a family relative, told the committee the original sale’s “terms and conditions were not fully met” and urged a negotiated return rather than litigation. Mary Camacho Torres, a former senator and relative of the Perez family, asked the Legislature to “honor the good faith intention of Frank Perez and Governor Skinner” and to provide closure for the family’s claim.

Opponents and several witnesses with experience at the Chamorro Land Trust Commission urged caution. David Herrera, a former CLTC commissioner, said the bill “omits relevant factual informations” and argued that removing the parcels from the trust could deny housing and lease opportunities for many families waiting for land and infrastructure through the trust. Herrera said the parcel’s removal would reduce the inventory that funds infrastructure for hundreds of Chamorro Land Trust beneficiaries. Multiple witnesses reminded the committee of a previous legislative attempt—Bill 625-23 (passed by the Legislature in 1996 and vetoed by the acting governor)—that would have returned a portion of the Oka Point lands to the Perez family.

Senators at the hearing repeatedly raised policy and fiduciary questions. Senator (Vice Speaker) Tony Ada, presiding, noted the bill had been submitted by the governor and that the committee would collect more written testimony. Senator Telai and Senator Barnett (committee members present) asked for documentary valuations and for clarity on which portions of Lot 5173 the bill would return and whether the return would match the one-third portion debated in the 1990s. Committee members asked whether the family or claimants had placed any monetary valuation on the missing equipment; family testimony referenced a handwritten list saying “61 pieces of construction equipment.”

Several witnesses urged alternatives to outright transfer. Some asked whether the government could satisfy outstanding obligations to the Perez heirs in other ways—by monetary compensation tied to a documented valuation of the equipment or by negotiated settlement—rather than removing land from the Chamorro Land Trust inventory. Others warned the committee that the trust inventory funds infrastructure and housing leases that benefit many families, and that altering that inventory could have broad impacts on current beneficiaries and applicants.

The committee left the record open for additional written testimony. Vice Speaker Ada said the committee would continue to accept written statements at his office and that any committee markup or recommendation would come after full consideration and after the record was closed. No formal vote or committee recommendation was taken during the June 27 hearing.

Documents and dates discussed at the hearing included the 10/29/1951 deed and recording, an April 1996 recorded instrument (No. 544237) that includes an affidavit by former Governor Carlton Skinner (dated 07/19/1989) describing the original negotiation and the intended equipment transfer, and claim filings in 1996 and later (the Perez family’s claim filings were referenced). Witnesses and committee members referenced Bill 625-23 (the mid-1990s measure that passed the Legislature but was vetoed) and the Organic Act of Guam as background legal context referenced in testimony.

The hearing drew multiple family members, former officials, and community advocates. Testimony combined family history, archival documents, and policy arguments about trust inventory, fiduciary duty, and how to resolve alleged past breaches of a sale agreement. The committee kept the record open for further written statements and signaled that any action on the bill would proceed only after additional review.