Power struggle brewing at MPLA

Homestead applicants, land compensation claimants and other clients of the Marianas Public Lands Authority may have to wait longer for assistance, as members of the MPLA board of directors are currently locked in a difference of opinions over the status of former Commissioner Henry Hofschneider, among other issues.

The apparent infighting has stymied scheduled board meetings and had board members issuing conflicting memoranda.

The scheduled MPLA board meeting on Tinian was twice postponed last week—due to the bad weather on Thursday, and due to lack of quorum on Friday.

Tropical storm Tokage hit the Marianas last week, prompting MPLA board members to cancel their flights to Tinian on Thursday. The meeting was rescheduled for Friday, but it was again postponed after three of the five board members failed to show up. They are vice chair Manny Villagomez, and members Nicolas Nekai and Felix Sasamoto.

Board member Benita Manglona sent notice earlier that she would not be able to be physically present in the meeting, but agreed to participate in the proceeding via teleconference.

This left only MPLA chair Ana Demapan-Castro the only board member present on Tinian for the meeting.

“I was really disappointed. There were many important issues that we needed to discuss. The MPLA staff made every effort to contact each board member, calling them at their cellular phones and at their residence. But they did not even call to say they were not coming,” Demapan-Castro said in an interview yesterday.

She recalled that the same three board members issued a memorandum ordering former Commissioner Henry Hofschneider to come back to work, while she was attending the U.S. Department of Interior-sponsored business conference in Los Angeles.

“When I was off island, they wanted to have a meeting. Now I’m here and I publicize the meeting schedule, they don’t show up,” Demapan-Castro said.

She said she will write the three board members on Monday to seek their explanation for not coming to the meeting, and to find out if they had agreed to “boycott” the Tinian meeting. She will also schedule another meeting for Friday, she said.

Demapan-Castro added that she will ask Gov. Juan N. Babauta to instruct the board members to “get back to work” if they continue to fail to attend scheduled meetings.

The Saipan Tribune tried but failed to reach any of the three board members yesterday. However, the Saipan Tribune obtained yesterday a copy of a public notice for a special MPLA board meeting slated for Oct. 21. The notice bears the names of board members Villagomez, Nekai, and Sasamoto.

Unlike last week’s meeting agenda, which included the status of land compensation, homestead matters, and MPLA’s budget, the agenda included only two topics for discussions.

They are: 1) consideration of board resolution setting forth official Board position regarding the July 30, 2003 purported designation of authority and purported ratification of designation of authority at the Aug. 14, 2003 board meeting, and 2) consideration of board resolution resolving the employment status of Commissioner Henry S. Hofschneider.

The “purported designation of authority” in the agenda refers to an action made by then MPLA board members Pedro Atalig and Pedro Igitol giving Demapan-Castro authority to hire and fire employees, among other things.

The present conflict among MPLA board members arose from Demapan-Castro’s decision to suspend Hofschneider over alleged insubordination last July 9. Villagomez and Nekai have opposed the suspension.

Hofschneider was supposed to report back to work on July 30. But Demapan-Castro extended the suspension indefinitely, pending the conclusion of the investigation she requested from the Attorney General’s Office regarding alleged irregularity involving the commissioner.

Hofschneider subsequently filed a lawsuit against Demapan-Castro in the U.S. District Court to question his suspension. The case is still pending in court.

Effective Oct. 8, Edward Guerrero assumed office as the new MPLA commissioner.

Neither Demapan-Castro’s camp nor Hofschneider’s group would comment on Hofschneider’s current employment status.