The president of the Senate refuted reports that a large number of consultants had been dismissed and that as many as 40 military and police officials were withdrawn from service by the Dominican Congress. According to an official publication in today?s List?n Diario, Andr?s Bautista (PRD-Espaillat) clarifies that in 2001 there were 62 consultants for the Senate, whose total payroll amounted to RD$628,000. At the same time, in August of 2001, the number of consultants was reduced to 40, said the communiqu?, and the number of consultants serving the 32 various committees of the Senate remained unchanged. The notice also says there are 20 consultants of ?great worth and experience? who were contracted during former legislative periods, several of whom are no longer in service for varied reasons, the most recent hiring having taken place on 2 January.
El Caribe newspaper publishes details on several of the present advisors to the president of the Senate, emphasizing that at least 10 of the 40 are from Moca, the home-town of Bautista. These include Celia Francisca Figueroa, who receives a RD$15,000 monthly salary and is the wife of someone once married to one of Bautista?s sisters. Another is Juana Mar?a Figueroa, who also earns RD$15,000 a month, and was once a PRD candidate for the Chamber of Deputies. Another Bautista advisor, with a monthly salary of RD$20,000, is V?ctor Ram?n S?nchez, a former PRD pre-candidate to the Senate, who lost to Bautista in the party primaries.
With reference to the military and police officers removed from service, Bautista says that the Senate cannot ?cancel? any military or police personnel as such actions fall exclusively under the jurisdictions of the Ministry of the Armed Forces or the Chief of Police. He did point out, however, that, as had been reported, following the murder of Senator Dar?o G?mez, security forces were increased, and after a period of time they have been reduced in number but improved by technology. He added that in a cost-reduction move, the per diems of 24 of these security employees were eliminated. According to the Senate leader, these were the only changes made.