MPLA mum on ex-employee’s charges

The Marianas Public Lands Authority has kept silent on a former employee’s allegations of discrimination and retaliation as reasons for non-renewal of his contract this month.

MPLA commissioner Edward M. Deleon Guerrero made no response when asked specifically on those issues—discrimination and retaliation—as claimed by former MPLA appraisal reviewer Mitchell Aaron, whose contract was not renewed effective Feb. 12, 2006.

Instead, Deleon Guerrero justified the non-renewal decision by saying that Aaron’s contract carries a provision which says that it is not automatically renewed “and it is wholly within the discretion of the employer whether an offer to renew the contract should be made to the employee.”

“As you can see, the contract ended automatically on its expiration date. Although not required, I gave Mr. Aaron a courtesy notice of non-renewal at least two weeks before the contract was due to expire. There was and is no obligation to renew, nor was the position necessary to continue,” said Deleon Guerrero.

Aaron said the notice of non-renewal was dated Jan. 25, but he was handed it only on Feb. 6, a week before the termination.

The employee alleged that he was terminated due to retaliation “for appraisal reviews of some land compensations claims which were not favorable to the MPLA board and the management.”

Aaron also believes that his non-renewal had something to do with his participation in the transition subcommittee report which recommended the abolition of MPLA.

MPLA officials, headed by chair Ana Demapan-Castro and Deleon Guerrero, are fighting tooth and nail to oppose the abolition bill which was initiated by the Fitial administration following findings of systemic problems, resulting in alleged abuses by certain MPLA officials.

Meantime, the commissioner said that Aaron’s termination of contract was due to “diminished” work.

He said that as an appraisal reviewer, Aaron’s duties were primarily related to the land compensation program, which Deleon Guerrero said, “is now essentially completed.”

“Other appraisal review tasks for land exchanges have diminished, and there is no longer a need for a full-time appraisal reviewer,” said Deleon Guerrero.

Further, he said that if an appraisal review would be needed in the future, “it would be more economical for MPLA to retain an outside appraiser on a case-by-case basis rather than to continue a full-time position.”

Aaron has disagreed with this.

“As the records will show, there are still a lot of land claims that require appraisals for compensation with which I believe my services are very much needed and still is…,” he had said.

Having his position intact, is in fact cost-saving for the MPLA, he said.

He said he performed in-house appraisals for MPLA in addition to his appraisal review duties, “which saves MPLA substantial appraisal fees had MPLA contracted out …to independent appraisers.”

Aaron also complained of discrimination.

He said that unlike other contractual employees, he was given only a mere 90-day extension when his contract was up for renewal last August.

He was the given another “90-day contract” last November, which expired on Feb. 12.

Aaron had worked for MPLA since 2001.