Support dominates Guerrero’s re-appointment hearings

Despite widespread support on both Saipan and Tinian, the re-appointment of Robert Guerrero as commissioner of the Department of Public Safety was opposed by two persons on Rota during one of his three re-appointment hearings.
Guerrero, who has been the acting DPS chief since December 2015, has been subjected to three separate hearings to hear from members of the CNMI community whether he should be re-appointed or not.

As of Thursday, the hearings on all three islands have been completed and the decision for his re-appointment is forthcoming.

During a hearing on Rota, DPS resident director Eusebio Manglona and his mother opposed Guerrero’s re-appointment.

According to Guerrero, he does not know why the two opposed his re-appointment but he respects the process. Guerrero was already the DPS chief but had to submit his courtesy resignation—as per protocol—when the Torres administration came in last January.

“I’m sure there’s reasons for someone within the department to go against you; you can’t satisfy everybody. Somebody is always going to be against you. Some will be loyal to their previous commissioners, previous directors, but that’s the nature of democracy,” he said.

Guerrero did obtain widespread support from members of the Saipan and Tinian communities.

Guerrero is Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ and Lt. Gov. Arnold Palacios’ nominee for commissioner.

“Under his leadership, he has created a stronger and more efficient Department of Public Safety, streamlining public services, increasing the number of law enforcement officers on all three islands, and reducing the crime rate by addressing both violent and nonviolent crimes,” said press secretary Kevin Bautista.

Guerrero himself was amazed at the amount of support he got from members of DPS, members of the Legislature, members or the Executive Branch, and the public who came to witness the hearing last Thursday.

“I never asked any of these employees that’s up here to come up here. Even on Rota and Tinian, not a penny of government funds was spent so that tells me they are in full support,” he said.

When asked how he felt about the re-appointment, Guerrero said it is never fun to be judged.

“You have a set of report cards that they can pick on, like why did I do this and why did I do that, unlike a new appointee where they’ll make promises off the wall with everything I want to do but there’s nothing to judge off,” he said.

At the hearing, Guerrero was asked about some of the more controversial DPS issues in the CNMI, including what is being done about reckless tourist drivers, the number of cold cases that still remain unanswered, and more.

Guerrero is the former Department of Corrections commissioner, former director of Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, and has had years of law enforcement and military experience.