EX-31 6 exhibit311.htm EXHIBIT 31.1 exhibit311
 
 
1
 
 
EXHIBIT
 
31.1
I, Aurelio Alemán, certify that:
 
1.
I have reviewed this Form 10-K of First BanCorp.;
 
2.
 
Based on
 
my knowledge,
 
this report
 
does not
 
contain any
 
untrue statement
 
of a
 
material fact
 
or omit
 
to state
 
a material
 
fact
necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
 
circumstances under which such statements were made, not
 
misleading
with respect to the period covered by this report;
3.
 
Based on my
 
knowledge, the financial
 
statements, and other
 
financial information included
 
in this report,
 
fairly present in all
material
 
respects
 
the
 
financial
 
condition,
 
results
 
of
 
operations
 
and
 
cash
 
flows
 
of
 
the
 
registrant
 
as
 
of,
 
and
 
for,
 
the
 
periods
presented in this report;
 
4.
 
The
 
registrant's
 
other
 
certifying
 
officer
 
and
 
I
 
are
 
responsible
 
for
 
establishing
 
and
 
maintaining
 
disclosure
 
controls
 
and
procedures
 
(as
 
defined
 
in
 
Exchange
 
Act
 
Rules
 
13a-15(e)
 
and
 
15d-15(e))
 
and
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
 
reporting
 
(as
defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a)
Designed such disclosure
 
controls and procedures,
 
or caused such disclosure
 
controls and procedures
 
to be designed
under
 
our
 
supervision,
 
to
 
ensure
 
that
 
material
 
information
 
relating
 
to
 
the
 
registrant,
 
including
 
its
 
consolidated
subsidiaries, is
 
made known
 
to us by
 
others within
 
those entities, particularly
 
during the
 
period in
 
which this
 
report
is being prepared;
 
(b)
Designed such internal control over
 
financial reporting, or caused such
 
internal control over financial reporting to
 
be
designed under our supervision, to
 
provide reasonable assurance regarding
 
the reliability of financial
 
reporting and the
preparation of financial statements
 
for external purposes in accordance
 
with generally accepted accounting
 
principles;
(c)
Evaluated
 
the
 
effectiveness
 
of
 
the
 
registrant's
 
disclosure
 
controls
 
and
 
procedures,
 
and
 
presented
 
in
 
this
 
report
 
our
conclusions about the
 
effectiveness of the
 
disclosure controls and
 
procedures, as of the
 
end of the period
 
covered by
this report based on such evaluation; and
(d)
Disclosed in
 
this report
 
any change
 
in the
 
registrant’s
 
internal control
 
over financial
 
reporting that
 
occurred during
the registrant’s
 
most recent
 
fiscal quarter
 
(the registrant’s
 
fourth
 
fiscal quarter
 
in the
 
case of
 
an annual
 
report) that
has
 
materially
 
affected,
 
or
 
is
 
reasonably
 
likely
 
to
 
materially
 
affect,
 
the
 
registrant’s
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
reporting; and
 
5.
 
The
 
registrant's
 
other
 
certifying
 
officer
 
and
 
I
 
have
 
disclosed,
 
based
 
on
 
our
 
most
 
recent
 
evaluation
 
of
 
internal
 
control
 
over
financial
 
reporting,
 
to
 
the
 
registrant's
 
auditors
 
and
 
the
 
audit
 
committee
 
of
 
the
 
registrant's
 
board
 
of
 
directors
 
(or
 
persons
performing the equivalent functions):
 
(a)
All
 
significant
 
deficiencies
 
and
 
material
 
weaknesses
 
in
 
the
 
design
 
or
 
operation
 
of
 
internal
 
control
 
over
 
financial
reporting
 
which
 
are reasonably
 
likely
 
to
 
adversely
 
affect
 
the registrant's
 
ability
 
to
 
record,
 
process,
 
summarize
 
and
report financial information; and
 
(b)
Any fraud, whether
 
or not material, that
 
involves management or other
 
employees who have a
 
significant role in the
registrant's internal control over financial reporting.
Date: February 28, 2024
By:
/s/ Aurelio Alemán
Aurelio Alemán
President and Chief Executive Officer