Fitial removes DPL, DPW chiefs

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has asked for and received the resignation letters of Public Lands Secretary Oscar M. Babauta and Public Works Secretary Martin Sablan, two of his Cabinet members who have remained with the Covenant Party instead of following him to the Republican Party last year.

Babauta is one of the advisers for the Covenant Party and its campaign manager, while Sablan is the party’s second vice chairman.

Fitial asked Babauta and Sablan to turn in their resignation Thursday afternoon.

“I have always believed that in order to fully achieve my administration’s goals and objective, it is important to ensure that members of my Cabinet share the same principle as well. In this regard I would like to thank you for your service and contribution as secretary. I further seek cooperation that you submit a courtesy resignation to my office no later than the close of business tomorrow,” Fitial said in separate letters to the DPL and DPW secretaries.

Sablan and Babauta separately confirmed turning in their resignation letters to the governor’s office yesterday.

“I respect the governor’s request. I turned in my resignation. The governor likes his Cabinet members to be under the same principles. I am grateful that the governor gave me the opportunity to serve the administration and the people of the Commonwealth,” Babauta, a long-time ally of the governor, told Saipan Tribune.

Babauta said his resignation takes effect April 2, while Sablan said that his was effective yesterday, March 30.

Sablan hopes that Department of Public Works employees and officials will continue the hard work they have put in to move DPW projects forward.

“I understand the governor’s decision to ask me to resign. I know it’s politics. But there is no bitterness on my part. The governor has authority to remove his Cabinet members,” said Sablan, who has been DPW secretary for some six years.

Babauta and Sablan also thanked their colleagues, employees, and the community they have served.

Press secretary Angel Demapan said the governor is currently assessing his Cabinet organization as part of his midterm review of his second term in office.

“In this regard, Governor Fitial strongly believes that in order for any chief executive to effectively carry out his administration’s goals and objectives, it is important to ensure that executive appointees of his Cabinet also share the same principles. The same Cabinet assessment is widely practiced by the United States president and other state governors,” Demapan said.

Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota), upon hearing the news, reiterated his call for Fitial to step aside for choosing “politics over public interest and public service” when he removed Cabinet members whom he believes are doing a good job of serving the CNMI.

Manglona repeated his call for Fitial to allow Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos to take over the government.

“Again, here’s Governor Fitial wearing his Republican hat, negatively affecting how the government is run. If he is not going to lead us into economic recovery, I again respectfully ask the governor to step aside and let Lt. Gov. Eloy Inos to take over as governor. Why else did he remove Mr. Babauta and Mr. Sablan? Politics. But what about the interest of the public?” said Manglona.

He added that “this is a sad day” for the Commonwealth, referring to the governor’s decision to remove his non-Republican Cabinet members.

Had the two didn’t turn in their resignation, Manglona said they will be terminated anyway. He said the governor asking Babauta and Sablan to turn in their resignation letters is in essence removing them from their posts.

The governor has the power to hire and fire his Cabinet appointees.

The press secretary said “removal is the not the appropriate term here.”

“As I understand it, the governor has asked them to tender their resignation on the premise that he believes these two Cabinet members no longer share the same principles. Every chief executive appoints Cabinet members who they believe can best carry out the administration’s goals and objectives. There is no reason that Governor Fitial should be an exception to this,” Demapan said.

Demapan cited as an example Guam Gov. Ed Calvo who made changes to his Cabinet earlier this year and “no member of the Guam Legislature called for him to step aside.”

“Governor Fitial does not dictate who Senator Manglona wishes to hire, and expects the same from him,” the press secretary added.

As Covenant Party campaign manager, Babauta said he will help Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos—now the party’s titular head—to ensure that their candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives will win in the midterm elections on Nov. 6.

Babauta served DPL for two years and one month. He assumed the post in February 2010.

He served at the Legislature for 20 years, 16 years of those as an elected member of the House including as speaker. He spent the first four years as staffer for the late former speaker Ben M. Sablan during the 4th Legislature.

When asked whether he will run again for elected office in November, he said at this time he will focus on being a campaign manager for the Covenant Party.

He said he has sent emails to his division directors at DPL, thanking them for the opportunity to work with them in the past 25 months,

“There’s a familial atmosphere at DPL. When I became secretary, they welcomed me and put me at ease. I will miss them the most,” he added.

Fitial asked for Babauta and Sablan’s resignation five days after the Covenant Party celebrated the 36th anniversary of Covenant Day. The party also named some of their candidates for the Nov. 6 polls and their endorsement of Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan’s (Ind-MP) re-election. The delegate and the governor do not see eye-to-eye on a host of issues affecting the CNMI.

Sablan, for his part, said he has no immediate plans, other than to help the Covenant Party.

He also said he hopes the governor’s decision to ask for his resignation had nothing to do with DPW’s decision not to award a multimillion project contract to GPPC Inc.

He said DPW awarded a contract to Hawaiian Rock Products for the Phase 2B component of the Cross Island Road Improvement Project that is funded by a U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration grant and American Recovery and Reinvest Act monies.

Sablan said GPPC filed a protest related to this project.

The project in question costs over $4 million.

Diego Blanco, business development manager and vice president of GPPC Inc., separately said he’s surprised that Sablan even hinted that DPW’s contract award to Hawaiian Rock Products and GPPC’s protest may have something to do with the governor’s decision to ask the DPW director to resign.

Blanco said Sablan’s statement is “uncalled for.” He said GPPC operates in a professional manner and hopes that the company’s name will not be dragged into the issue of Cabinet member removals.

The Senate president said Fitial made a “critical mistake” by removing his Cabinet secretaries at this juncture.

“It’s very clear that for the governor, politics takes over public interest. He should fire people based on their performance of their duties, and not because they did not follow him to his party. What message is he sending?” Manglona asked.

The Senate president said it is about time the House of Representatives “make a difference” and be independent of the Executive Branch. The House leadership is aligned with the governor.

“The House can make a difference and become independent. During these hard times, they should step up. I challenge the House to start making their own decisions and work with the Senate to move the economy forward. If the governor does not want a certain law to be passed, the Legislature has the power to override. Nothing is stopping the Legislature to do what they think is best for the people,” Manglona added.

Fitial and Manglona have engaged in a word war that started when Fitial described Rota and Tinian senators “stupid” for rejecting another House bill that legalizes casino gambling on Saipan. Fitial said a casino industry on Saipan will generate much-needed revenues to move the economy forward.

The governor’s removal of Babauta and Sablan comes a few days after he placed Public Safety Commissioner Ray Mafnas on administrative leave. Mafnas is now being investigated for allegations of abuse of power, harassment, and interference with an ongoing murder investigation.

Rep. Ralph Demapan (Cov-Saipan) said if anyone wants to talk about loyalty, Babauta and Sablan have been loyal Covenant Party members since Day 1.

“I don’t see a reason why they were relieved; they have been doing a great job despite the challenges that the CNMI faces. To those people who continue to believe in our philosophy and continue to do the right thing, stay strong and stay Covenant,” said Demapan, seeking re-election under the Covenant Party.