Senators and Fitial clash on apology for ‘stupid’ remark

The Senate has adopted a resolution asking Gov. Benigno R. Fitial to apologize to the people of Rota and Tinian for what they described as “inappropriate” comment made by the governor when he called “people” from the two islands “stupid” following the Senate’s rejection of a House bill legalizing casino gaming on Saipan.

Fitial, in response, said he has already apologized to the people of Tinian and Rota and clarified that his remarks were not directed at them, but rather to the senators from the two municipalities.

The Senate, in their resolution, acknowledged the governor’s clarification but said such statement did not include an apology to the senators.

“I do not owe an apology to those six senators,” Fitial said in a statement yesterday. “Those senators should be the ones coming forward to apologize to the people of the CNMI for blocking opportunities aimed at generating much needed revenues. This resolution is a waste of time and resources and a blatant attempt by the senators to cover up their failure to work toward improving the livelihood of the people.”

By a vote of 7-0, senators adopted on Wednesday afternoon Senate Vice President Jude Hofschneider’s (R-Tinian) Senate Resolution 17-84, which asks for such an apology from the governor.

The governor said he’s “amazed at how quick” the senators passed what he describes as a “ridiculous” resolution.

“If only they acted this quickly on critical bills that would enhance our revenues, I’m sure families across the CNMI would not be suffering as much,” Fitial said.

Hofschneider, in an interview, hopes that the issue over the inappropriate remarks will be laid to rest soon.

“Although he retracted his comments later, the governor never really apologized to members of the Legislature thus exacerbating the already shaky relationship with the Senate. The governor shall not, at any given time and as the father of the NMI, to be acting on his emotion, making such vulgar language directed to other elected officials in the CNMI,” the Senate said in their resolution.

The two-page resolution states in part that “the people of Rota and Tinian are infuriated and dismayed that the governor would make such comments without regard to the welfare of the people,” it says.

The resolution also says that the governor’s comments are creating a decisive political line between Saipan, Tinian and Rota that is detrimental to the welfare of a united Commonwealth.

“The governor should refrain from making political comments attacking or name-calling the people of Rota and Tinian because the governor represents the people of Rota and Tinian just the same as the people of Saipan,” it adds.

Fitial said he stands by what he said “about those senators because just as I am the father of the CNMI, I am disheartened that six people are ruining the lives of my people.”

“The casino issue was never about just improving Saipan. I supported that measure because it would have given much needed revenue to Tinian and Rota as well. So yes, I am appalled because as the father of the CNMI, I cannot believe that all my people are suffering at the behest of six senators. The people of the CNMI have suffered for a long time. It’s time that those senators use their voting advantage to make people’s lives better. They should think of the people first, and then they can think about their subsistence allowance,” the governor added.

Senators, by adopting the resolution, said if the governor feels the need to comment on legislative actions, “he should direct his comments to the appropriate legislative body and limit his comment to civil and respectful comments.”

The Senate adopted the resolution on the same day they rejected two of Fitial’s nominees to the Public Utilities Commission and Marianas Public Land Trust, after a heated debate mainly because of Senate floor leader Pete Reyes’ (R-Saipan) accusations that Rota and Tinian senators were singling out nominees from Saipan as a result of the governor’s remarks.