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Fitial nominates three to CPA board
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Posted on Aug 19 2008
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial issued three new nominations to the board of the Commonwealth Ports Authority last week after extending for the third time the state of emergency he declared at the agency due to a lack of confirmed board members.
In a series of letters penned Aug. 14, Fitial nominated Edith DLG Cruz, former lawmaker Benigno M. Sablan and Fermin Sakisat to the board, saying each is “qualified and will be an asset on this important board.”
Sen. Paterno S. Hocog (R-Rota), chairman of the Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigation, which will review the nominations, said in an interview yesterday he had yet to be briefed on the nominees and could not answer questions.
However, Senate president Pete Reyes said that for now the nominations appear acceptable. “I don’t see any problem with any of them,” he said.
Sablan is a former GOP congressman for precinct 4, according to prior news reports, and a former official with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.
Citing professional obligations, Absalon Waki Jr., advertising sales manager for the Saipan Tribune, declined a nomination to the board earlier this month, followed by Frank Camacho, an official with Pacific Orient Inc., who turned down the position last week for undisclosed reasons.
The Senate last month voted unanimously to confirm former Tinian senator Manuel Villagomez as a board appointee. Villagomez joined former CPA board chair Joe Lifoifoi, who was asked to rescind his May 16 resignation and stay on the board. The remaining nominees yet to be confirmed are Miriam Seman and Barry Toves.
The new nominations come after Fitial in an executive order last week extended yet again the state of emergency at CPA, pointing to the lack of Senate-confirmed members for the agency’s board. The extension will last for 30 days.
