Disaster emergency on Rota • Mayor makes the move due to massive power interruption in government offices on the island

Rota will be placed under local disaster emergency after the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation went on with its scheduled power disconnection of government offices yesterday due to unsettled bills.

Citing imminent threat to public health, safety and welfare, Rota Mayor Benjamin Manglona urged CUC officials to restore the electricity supply of local government agencies essential to community services.

Mr. Manglona also called on Administration officials, legislators and the CUC to sit down and thresh out the problem, particularly funding sources to settle utility debts incurred for Cycle four and five.

Questioning the discriminatory treatment received by Rota and Tinian, the mayor stressed that power cutoff must be applied equally to all government offices including Saipan.

“We understand that only Rota and Tinian are affected by this cutoff. Saipan government offices will not suffer. Apparently, CNMI Finance paid utility bills for Saipan, but not for Tinian and Rota. Why is this?” quipped Mr. Manglona in a letter to CUC Executive Director Timothy Villagomez.

The mayor said the government’s constitutional duty cannot be fulfilled without electricity, as he urged CUC to restore the power supply in several public offices on the island until the Administration and the Legislature finds a solution to funding woes.

The mayor even went as far into instructing the Rota CUC deputy director to maintain power supply of government offices on the island to ensure delivery of basic public services and uninterrupted government operations.

But CUC Special Advisor for Corporate Communication Pamela Mathis said disconnection works on Tinian and Rota were done as directed after the 24-hour grace period lapsed Friday.

Until late afternoon yesterday, there was no order from the CUC board to restore power supply in Rota and Tinian government offices unless payments are made.

Ms. Mathis also explained that CUC’s Rota office does not have the capacity to decide whether or not to restore power supply in these agencies without placing the autonomy of the utility corporation in question.

“They can never order CUC to do what it is told to do, because CUC’s autonomy stipulated that we recover actual cost of services delivered to customers. CUC employees only comply with CUC officials’ orders, we do not mean disrespect to the governor, to the legislature, or to the mayor, but this is what autonomous agency is all about,” Ms. Mathis explained.

Today, CUC will hold a special meeting to discuss the government’s problems on unsettled utility debts, not only of Tinian and Rota but also of Saipan.

CUC’s cycle one included 47 Saipan government offices where an estimated $431,873.72 utility bills were accumulated. If the government fails to settle its current utility bills, CUC will proceed with its disconnection works tomorrow along with delinquent customers in residential and commercial areas.

The disconnection works will place a total of 151 offices without electricity this week.

CUC was compelled to launch simultaneous disconnection works following failure to reach an agreement with Department of Finance to guarantee minimum monthly payments. (See related story)

CUC was made to believe that the CNMI government was about to guarantee a fixed monthly payment and to enforce conservation efforts to reduce electricity consumption, Board Chair Jesus T. Guerrero earlier said.

“I personally guaranteed to Governor Tenorio that I would not disconnect the government if only his people would keep the current utility bills paid each month, but the government will not pay,” said the board chair.

The finance department failed to pay four and five billing cycles due on March 1, where Rota and Tinian government offices are included.

The cycle four contained 49 delinquency notices on non-essential offices totaling a payment of $892,450.92 while another 55 government under cycle five with 4492,053.23 utility bills were already notified. (EGA)