Senate committee holds public hearing on Francis A. Torres’s nomination to Civil Service Commission

The Senate Standing Committee on Executive Appointments and Investigation on Feb. 19 held a public hearing on the nomination of Francis A. Torres to serve on the Civil Service Commission representing the Third Senatorial District. The committee received multiple oral endorsements, five additional written letters of support and questions from senators about staffing and administrative backlogs at the commission.

Joanie Lanizou, representing Governor Arnold I. Palacios and Lieutenant Governor David M. Apatang, introduced Torres and said the governor and lieutenant governor “placed their complete trust in Miss Torres to serve on the Civil Service Commission.” Torres was sworn in for the record and gave brief opening remarks. “If confirmed, I will listen carefully to all parties, consider every case on its merits, and work diligently to ensure that the Commission's processes remain transparent, fair, and free from undue influence,” she told the committee.

Several witnesses spoke in favor of the nominee. Ray Munier, chairperson of the Civil Service Commission, said Torres’s experience as a civil service employee and in workforce programs would help the commission improve rules and operations. Joseph M. Panglinan, director of personnel at the Office of Personnel Management, testified that Torres’s education, supervisory experience and job-performance records make her “more than qualified to be a member of the Civil Service Commission.” Other supporters who spoke included workforce program staff and community members who cited Torres’s work with apprenticeships, WIOA-funded programs and interagency collaboration.

Committee members used the hearing to raise operational concerns at the commission. Senator Corina L. Magofna noted the Civil Service Commission’s 2024 citizen-centric report and asked about an apparent vacancy in the commission’s administrative hearing officer position that committee members and witnesses said has contributed to a backlog of active cases. Senator Donald M. Manglona urged the nominee, if confirmed, to work with the commission and the Office of Personnel Management to assess options such as temporary contracting, shared-cost arrangements, or recruitment to fill that vacancy. Torres told the committee the Department of Labor and other stakeholders were advocating for applicants and said contracting a temporary hearing officer was a potential short-term approach while recruitment proceeded.

Senators and witnesses also recommended operational reforms such as improving case-status visibility for employees and streamlining coordination between OPM and the Office of Management and Budget. Senator Magofna suggested enhancing the commission’s website to allow employees to check the status of active appeals and to see which documents are missing, an idea that witnesses and Torres described as a possible way to reduce routine inquiries and improve transparency.

The committee recorded five additional written testimonies submitted in support of Torres from Jodina Attel (Northern Marianas Technical Institute), Audrey Joy A. De Leon Guerrero (personal testimony), Margaret C. Torres (personal testimony), Velma Palacios (personal testimony), and Zachary Titano (personal testimony). No written testimony in opposition was recorded by the committee at the time of the hearing.

The hearing concluded with the committee taking no confirmation vote. The chair said all oral and written testimony will be included in the committee’s recommendation report and forwarded to the full Senate for consideration. The committee adopted its agenda at the start of the session and later adjourned after closing public comment; those procedural motions carried by voice vote and were recorded on the hearing record.