Flashback November 1, 1999-2001

Senate divided on Tinian seat vacancy[/B]

The Senate remains undecided on what to do with the seat left vacant by former Sen. Herman Manglona who resigned nearly two months ago, despite appeals from some sectors on Tinian to declare a vacancy to allow the immediate holding of special elections in the island municipality.

Senators have diverse opinions on the case, which is the first ever in the Commonwealth’s history, but it is unlikely they will resolve the differences before the Nov. 1 midterm polls.

Sen. David Cing, who chairs the Credential Committee created by the upper house, said the panel will decide on Manglona’s fate when the court hands down its sentence on the embattled ex-senator in December.

Manglona resigned from the Legislature last September, a day after pleading guilty to the charges filed against him in the U.S. district court in Saipan in connection with federal projects he administered while still mayor of Tinian. The court has scheduled its sentencing on Dec. 21.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio vowed to consider various proposals made by two recent economic reports on the Northern Marianas as part of his administration’s efforts to spur business activities on the island.

But he refused to comment on the recommendation by an economist of Bank of Hawaii that CNMI must prepare now for an orderly transition when federal labor and immigration laws are extended the island.

“We have so many economists and we agree with some of them,” he said in an interview. “They do provide inputs.”

Officer in police brutality case denies accusations[/B]

The CNMI government asked the U.S. District Court yesterday to dismiss the claims of the alleged victim of police brutality, Ramon A. Ayuyu, as accused police officer Hilary Tagabuel denied harming him to confess to a theft incident nearly three years ago.

District Judge Alex R. Munson denied the motion, but granted its request to drop the Department of Public Safety and four John Doe’s who are unnamed police officers as defendants to the $1 million damage suit.

He also decided to accept the testimony of first witness of the plaintiff, Public Defender Masood Karimipour, despite the defense contention that it was irrelevant to the case since he had no personal account of the allegations.

The Tanapag Action Group has asked the Division of Environmental Quality to assess dioxin soil contamination in the village to determine the extent of health problems in has caused in the village.

In a letter to DEQ Director Ignacio V. Cabrera, Tanapag Action Group leader Juan I. Tenorio requested the environment agency to release the 1991 soil sampling results which revealed extensive dioxin contamination in soil.

Tenorio made the recommendation in view of the planned release of blood test results in connection with the polychlorinated biphenyl contamination among residents.
[B] NOVEMBER 1, 2001

More funds vs. bioterrorism eyed [/B]

As the nation braces for bioterrorism, the CNMI is expected to receive additional federal grants from the office of President Bush.

No less than the Commonwealth’s premiere anti-terrorism agency—the Emergency Management Office—made the anticipation, after coming out from a meeting with Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives yesterday afternoon.

EMO Director Gregorio DeLeon Guerrero said the money may come from an appropriation by the Homeland Defense Office, which forms part of the Office of the US President.