New signature drive to place Article 11 question on ballot

Another signature campaign is being launched to help put on the Nov. 6 ballot a popular initiative to amend Article 11 of the NMI Constitution, particularly to include a provision to pay people of Northern Marianas descent dividends from public land revenues.

Rep. Froilan Tenorio (Cov-Saipan) is spearheading the signature drive.

Article 11 says public lands belong collectively to the people of the Commonwealth who are of Northern Mariana Islands descent.

The title of the popular initiative that Tenorio is proposing is, “To amend Article XI of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to assure that the revenues from public lands are used for the benefit of the people of the Commonwealth who are of Northern Mariana Islands descent and to provide for the payment of a dividend from such revenues to such people.”

Tenorio, a former governor and House speaker, said on Saturday that he is circulating his Article 11 petition for signatures “in case the Senate does not approve the legislative initiative.”

He was referring to a legislative initiative authored by House Speaker Eli Cabrera (R-Saipan) that seeks to amend Article 11 to allow qualified hotels and golf courses currently leasing public lands to obtain fee simple interest in said public lands. House Local Initiative 17-10 has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Tenorio hopes that Rota and Tinian lawmakers will not block his Article 11 initiative.

“This will benefit all NMI descents, so I hope that Tinian and Rota don’t act regional,” Tenorio told Saipan Tribune. “The main feature is Section 5. The people are looking forward to finally receiving some benefits from the money that belongs to them.”

Section 5 of the popular initiative states that within 60 days after the close of each fiscal year, Marianas Public Land Trust trustees shall determine the total market value of the trust’s assets, exclusive of the value of the public lands, as of the last day of such fiscal year, “and shall, within 120 days after the close of such year, distribute 10 percent of such value as a dividend to the beneficiaries.”

The date of record is the last day of such fiscal year.

Each beneficiary who has reached the age of 18 by the date of record shall receive a full share of the dividend, the proposed initiative states. Each beneficiary who has not reached 18 by such date shall receive a half share.

In the CNMI, net revenues from public lands are transferred to MPLT, which holds and invests such revenue, uses certain interest on its investments to develop and maintain the American Memorial Park, and, after meeting its administrative expenses, transfers the remaining interest to the general fund.

Tenorio, in his initiative, said NMD people are the presumed beneficiaries of the Trust, “but derive no particular benefit therefrom.”

Besides the Article 11 popular initiative, there are two other popular initiatives now being circulated for signatures to be placed in the Nov. 6 ballot—the first one is a question on Article 12 and the other one is a question about legalizing casino gaming on Saipan.

Article 12 prohibits ownership of private land by non-Northern Marianas descent people. The Citizens for Change of Article 12 launched the signature drive two weeks ago to lift this restriction on private land ownership.

The Saipan casino signature campaign backed by the Fitial administration is being led by retiree Dr. Jack Angello.

Angello, in a separate interview, said he hopes that as many Saipan voters will sign his petition to help restore 80 hours for many government employees and help prolong the life of the NMI Retirement Fund, among other things.

So far, only one initiative has so far reached the Commonwealth Election Commission for ratification by voters in the Nov. 6 polls—a legislative initiative to amend the Constitution to allow the election of a CNMI attorney general.