Salas cites lack of data in bill to reserve Tinian public lands

More information should have been presented before lawmakers passed the Senate bill that proposes to reserve a total of 524 hectares of pubic land on Tinian for agricultural homesteads and commercial use, according to Rep. Edward T. Salas.

“I don’t oppose the idea of reserving agricultural parcels of land for the Tinian people as well as for commercial homesteads,” Salas told Saipan Tribune. However, he voted “no” to the bill during Wednesday’s House session because he said he feels that reserving 524 hectares of public land requires more information or data.

The representative from Tinian was not even in the session to at least give them his thoughts or comments, said Salas who, along with Rep. Christina Sablan, voted against the passage of the legislation.

The House passed it on a 13-2 vote. Senate Bill 16-37 now goes to the governor for approval.

Sens. Joseph M. Mendiola Luis P. Crisostimo, and Felix T. Mendiola introduced the bill.

“What was presented was basically just the idea that Tinian wants to reserve these hectares of land. There is really no committee report that came to us. We don’t even know if the Department of Public Lands has commented on this proposal or what,” Salas noted.

Salas said what he and Sablan wanted to see was to delay the voting for about a week or so until they have all the reports and information because they are talking here about reserving a big chunk of public land.

“Absent of any information, I voted no. But I’m not opposed to the idea because there is a need for agricultural homesteads on Tinian. And I guess the process is taking too long here on Saipan,” he said.

Salas said maybe the Tinian people’s needs are being ignored.

“I’m not so sure. We don’t even know that. I would have voted yes if all the information is there,” he stressed.

At the session, Sablan expressed the same reservations in voting against the bill. She suggested referring the bill to the Natural Resources Committee for further study, considering there is no sufficient report or data presented to them.

During the voting roll call itself, Sablan emphatically said, “For the people of the CNMI, no!”

Reps. Oscar Babauta and Raymond Palacios had also underscored the importance of obtaining more information first but, after a long deliberation, sided with the majority lawmakers.

Most lawmakers said they want to respect the leaders of Tinian who “know best what their people need for their island.”