FLASHBACK – July 2, 2012

July 2, 2001

Fitial clears clouds on Rota CIP delay

He is barking up the wrong tree. Thus said House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial, referring to the complaint of Rota Mayor Benjamin Manglona over the alleged inaction of the House of Representatives on a bill appropriating funds from the Capitol Improvement Projects for Rota. In the first place, Fitial said House Bill 12-130 – which aims to allocate more than $50 million in CIP funds for Rota – stayed at the Senate for nine months. According to him, HB 12-130 was first passed by the House in April 2000. It immediately went to the Senate, which passed the measure only on January 16, 2001.

OPL told to impose uniform rental fees

“Why am I paying two thousand dollars and some two hundred dollars to three hundred dollars a month?” This question was raised by a marine sports operator over the alleged double standard lease policy of the Office of Public Lands to beach concessionaires. Van Le, owner of the Mas Marine, Inc., which has a lease agreement with the OPL for his 400-square foot beach concession, cried foul over the rentals imposed on his company by the government.

July 2, 2002

BoS opposes Castro’s disqualification

Bank of Saipan counsel Calvo and Clark accused court-appointed receiver Randall T. Fennell of attempting to “delay and manipulate” the BoS appellate proceedings when the latter sought for Supreme Court Justice Alexandro Castro’s disqualification from the hotly-contested case. In its answer to Fennell’s motion for Castro’s recusal filed before the high court, the bank, through lawyer Rodney J. Jacob, asserted that the receiver’s move “can only be perceived as an attempt to break up the panel so that it is incapable of expedited resolution of this writ proceeding.” Among others, BoS pointed out that proceedings have been tainted by Fennell’s alleged improper ex parte tactics, which required the bank to petition for relief in the Supreme Court.

Speaker’s office back to 8-hour operations

Starting yesterday, the Office of the Speaker at the House of Representatives has returned to its normal eight-hour daily operations-a development that its employees welcomed with sighs of relief. “It feels good to be back on eight hours,” said Jocelyn Deleon Guerrero, executive secretary to House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider. This comes after more than two months of operating at just six hours daily, Monday to Friday, a necessity brought on by the need to cut back on expenses to ensure that the office’s budget would last until September 30-the end of the fiscal year.

July 2, 2003

BoR approves ETC policy

The Northern Marianas College Board of Directors has given NMC president Kenneth Wright the authority to solicit, receive, and recommend the use of any educational tax credit donation to the college. This even as the board unanimously approved Friday a policy on the use of ETC funds. BoR finance committee chair Galvin Deleon Guerrero said the president-or his designee-is the only authority, as granted by the board, to oversee the ETC fund. “The president is responsible for soliciting and accepting ETC donation. It’s the president and only the president.I just hope that the president will exercise extreme discretion on who to delegate it to,” said Guerrero during the meeting. Based on the newly adopted policy, ETC will be part of the college’ comprehensive revenue fund.

MPLA’s Castro, Villagomez’ terms up

Two members of the Marianas Public Lands Authority Board of Directors remain uncertain as to whether they would continue being on board or not. The terms of board chairperson Ana Demapan-Castro and vice chairman Manuel Villagomez will expire next week, according to MPLA commissioner Henry S. Hofschneider. The situation, he said, prompted his office to schedule a board meeting for today, two weeks ahead of its regular schedule. The meeting will be at the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino. “We’re waiting for the governor’s decision on this matter,” said Hofschneider, adding that having a board’s quorum is crucial amid concerns that need the body’s urgent attention. “We don’t want MPLA to lag behind. We can’t conduct new business without a quorum,” he said. Right now, the board is composed of Castro, Villagomez, Pedro Atalig, and LJ Igitol.