Senate VP meets with Miss Universe organization to address questions regarding use of public funds

By THE STAR STAFF

Senate Vice President Marissa Jiménez Santoni met with Miss Universe executive director Ronald Day on Monday to discuss preparations for the upcoming pageant and address concerns raised by Thai franchise owner Nawat Itsaragrisil regarding the management of public funds tied to the event.

During the meeting, Day dismissed Itsaragrisil’s allegations of financial irregularities, insisting that the organization had not mishandled government contributions.

However, the Senate Committee on Tourism, Natural Resources and the Environment, chaired by Jiménez Santoni, identified significant discrepancies after reviewing documents submitted by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. According to the committee, the invoices provided do not match the $5 million already disbursed for the pageant.

Day attributed the inconsistencies to pending invoices or payments that have yet to be processed, but committee members noted that there is also a lack of clarity regarding the bank accounts where public funds were deposited.

The Senate committee is now considering issuing additional information requests through the full legislative body to clarify the financial trail.

Day pledged full cooperation, offering to provide emails, phone numbers, and any other data needed to complete the inquiry.

Jiménez Santoni said she will review the complete case file to identify unresolved questions and will use the Senate’s oversight mechanisms to ensure proper use of public funds.