Nine land payment claimants to get checks today

Nine land compensation claimants should be able to obtain their checks today, with the Commonwealth Development Authority finally processing the Marianas Public Lands Authority’s drawdown request to pay the claimants yesterday.

CDA executive director Maria Lourdes S. Ada and CDA board chair Sixto K. Igisomar have instructed Bank of Guam to disburse checks totaling $358,045.49 to pay the claimants and reimburse MPLA for land compensation-related expenses.

Ada and Igisomar also directed Bank of Guam trust officer Joseph H. Paulino to send the checks directly to the MPLA office for distribution to the land claimants.

CDA made the move after the MPLA board of directors, in a special meeting earlier yesterday, affirmed the appointment of Edward M. Deleon Guerrero as MPLA commissioner.

In a resolution adopted unanimously, the board members confirmed that MPLA chair Ana Demapan-Castro’s Oct. 8, 2004 action to promote Deleon Guerrero to the commissioner post was within her delegated powers and authorities.

Deleon Guerrero was serving as special assistant to then acting commissioner Frank Eliptico when he was promoted to replace terminated commissioner Henry Hofschneider. The position was initially offered to Eliptico, but he declined.

During yesterday’s meeting, however, the MPLA board deferred action on confirming Demapan-Castro’s unilateral decision to terminate Hofschneider.

Board members said the matter, which is the subject of several lawsuits filed by Hofschneider, should be left alone pending the court’s decision.

Land compensation payments were delayed due to questions over the legality of Deleon Guerrero’s appointment as commissioner, as the bond trustee had been hesitant to honor requisition documents bearing his signature.

On Monday, Gov. Juan N. Babauta told MPLA to resolve the issue once and for all and to get the payments out to the claimants by Tuesday.

As agreed during the teleconference initiated by the governor, the MPLA board appointed MPLA deputy commissioner Frank Eliptico on Tuesday assume the position of acting commissioner and sign the requisition document.

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

However, Ada informed Eliptico on Tuesday afternoon that CDA would not forward the document to Bank of Guam until after the MPLA board of directors’ Wednesday special meeting.

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.