The nine candidates for Saipan mayor yesterday presented their individual platforms to members and guests of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, but some of them ran out of time to read their entire prepared speech and instead distributed campaign flyers and brochures instead.
The Chamber gave the candidates only four minutes each to present their platform.
Almost all of the candidates spoke of preserving the beauty of Saipan and in improving the lives of residents, while some offered unique ideas to be able to make a difference and try to win people's votes in the Nov. 7 elections.
Chamber vice president Doug Brennan presented the candidates as follows: Marian DLG. Tudela, Angelo O. Villagomez, Juan S. Demapan, Donald P. Flores, Antonio Camacho, Roman Benavente, Jose DLG. Sanchez, Lino Tenorio, and Candido Taman.
Tudela, the only woman candidate for mayor, said she will bring to the office her experiences as a former chair of the Saipan Municipal Council in which she became acquainted with the process of promulgating regulations and municipal ordinances for Saipan and worked closely with the mayor.
Villagomez, who was the only candidate in coat and tie, stressed the importance of enhancing Saipan as a tourist destination and as a safe community through beautification projects, cleanups, dog control program and enforcement of the CNMI Litter Control Act, among other things.
He said one of his first tasks will be to conduct an audit to determine the effectiveness of the Saipan Mayor's Office.
Demapan, for his part, said his immediate focus would be to create jobs and train local residents whom he defined as “CNMI and U.S. citizens and nothing more.”
He also spoke of a comprehensive “Beautify Saipan” plan which includes solid waste collection stations; turning Saipan into a major college town for Asian students; Saipan people's involvement in the $15-billion military buildup on Guam; and the operation of a mass transit given the high cost of fuel.
“But the municipality of Saipan cannot move forward without putting a stop to the ever-interfering central government,” he added.
Besides beautification projects, Flores said he will also focus on the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance (SHEFA) scholarship program, among other things.
Camacho said the mayor's office has always functioned on an “assumption basis,” and it has been on the mercy of the Legislature. He said he will work with the Legislature and other agencies to ensure the mayor's office will have its independence.
Benavente, a former Board of Education chair and member, said he is someone who will “get the work done.”
Sanchez read his mission as a mayoral hopeful: To improve and implement essential services for the communities of Saipan, and to establish programs that would nurture our youth into civic-minded, responsible adults.”
Tenorio, a former secretary of the Department of Corrections, made a pitch about making full use of inmates for beautification projects on Saipan.
In an interview, he said if elected mayor, he would enter into a memorandum of understanding with Corrections, the Board of Parole, the Office of Adult Probation, and other agencies to maximize this resource.
Taman, for his part, spoke of short-term and long-term plans focused on the development of a subsistence farming and fishing industry, road paving projects, trade/vocational training program, stray animal shelter program, addressing crime rate and education and youth programs, as well as building a cultural performing arts center and putting up a trash disposal transfer station.
No question-and-answer or debate followed each candidate's platform presentation.
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