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Crisostimo heads new Homeland Office
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Posted on May 15 2005
Gov. Juan N. Babauta formally appointed Thursday his current Homeland Security advisor, Jerry Crisostimo, as Special Assistant for the newly created CNMI Homeland Security Office.
This came shortly after the governor’s signing of House Bill 14-15, which creates the office.
“Mr. Crisostimo is now the special assistant,” the governor said.
The measure, Public Law 14-62, provides that the new office, which is under the Governor’s Office, will be headed by a Special Assistant.
The law also creates a deputy special assistant position and representatives for Rota and Tinian.
Further, the law creates the CNMI Terrorism Advisory Board, chaired by the special assistant, and a Terrorism Task Force, which consists of the heads of the Emergency Management Office, Department of Public Safety, Commonwealth Ports Authority, Department of Public Health, and Division of Customs, and the Homeland Security Office.
The governor noted that the bill did not appropriate funding but he signed it anyway due to its importance.
He said the bill merely aims to tap “indirect costs” charged from all federal grants or relating or pertaining to Homeland Security.
The same “indirect costs” have also been identified as a revenue source for CNMI government operations.
Nevertheless, the governor said the law would allow the CNMI government to significantly increase its capability “to protect the lives and properties of our citizens and visitors in the event of a threat of terrorism or act of terrorism in the CNMI.”
In his earlier transmittal letter to the Legislature, Babauta noted that the measure failed to address certain issues related to the duties and responsibilities for the offices of Homeland Security Representative on Rota and Tinian.
It also does not provide representatives from the Office of the Mayor of Saipan and Northern Islands.
Further, the governor said that it did not exempt the Special Assistant’s salary of $60,000 from the present salary cap.
The governor called on the Legislature to pass subsequent legislation to address these concerns.
The bill was authored by Rep. Clyde Norita.
