CDA’s Ada withholds release of land payments

Land compensation claimants ended up not getting their checks yesterday despite Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s arm-twisting, with the Commonwealth Development Authority deciding to hold on to the drawdown request.

As agreed during a teleconference initiated by the governor on Monday, Marianas Public Lands Authority deputy commissioner Frank Eliptico assumed the position of acting commissioner yesterday to get the land compensation payment process going.

In his acting capacity, Eliptico prepared and signed MPLA Requisition No. 05-02, which requested disbursements totaling $358,045.49 to pay nine land compensation claimants and reimburse MPLA for land compensation-related expenses.

Finance Secretary Fermin Atalig immediately concurred with the request and sent it to CDA executive director Marylou Ada. CDA was supposed to forward the requisition to Bank of Guam, the bond trustee.

However, Ada informed Eliptico yesterday afternoon that CDA will not forward the document to Bank of Guam until after the MPLA board of directors’ special meeting this morning. At the meeting, the board is scheduled to confirm the termination of former commissioner Henry Hofschneider and the promotion of Edward M. Deleon Guerrero to MPLA’s top management post.

Governor Babauta called for the meeting on Monday to resolve issues regarding MPLA chairwoman Ana Demapan-Castro’s unilateral decision to appoint Deleon Guerrero as MPLA commissioner. Because of questions regarding the legitimacy of Deleon Guerrero’s appointment, the bond trustee has been hesitant to honor requisition documents bearing his signature. This has resulted in delays in the processing of land compensation payments.

“It was made very clear to us in [Monday’s] teleconference with the governor that the disbursement process will proceed prior to the scheduled board meeting as long as I sign the requisition in my capacity as acting commissioner. Now, it seems, we would have to do the process all over again despite our earnest efforts to resolve many claims today,” Eliptico said in a letter to Ada following their phone conversation.

He noted that having been led to believe that their checks will be issued immediately, many landowners have come to the MPLA office seeking their compensation.

“Please respond in writing to this letters citing your specific reasons for withholding Requisition No. 05-02 so I can promptly relay this information to the MPLA board members and the land claimants awaiting their compensation,” Eliptico added.

Saipan Tribune tried but failed to reach Ada for comment yesterday.

CDA board chair Sixto Igisomar expressed confidence that Ada has a good reason for withholding the requisition. He refused to elaborate, saying that the matter has not yet come to the board’s level.

Individuals who stand to receive land compensation payments under Requisition No. 05-02 are Jose A. Ichihara, Rosa I. Ichihara, Trinidad P. Magofna, Nicolas C. Pinaula, Jesus C. Pinaula, Victorina Pinaula, Lucy Ann T. Sablan, Francisco Q. Guerrero, and the CNMI Superior Court.

The requisition also includes $47,710 in reimbursement funds for MPLA.