MPLA executives have bigger paychecks than the governor

The commissioner and the comptroller of the Marianas Public Lands Authority are earning bigger salaries than that of the Commonwealth’s top official, according to a document obtained by the House of Representatives.

MPLA commissioner Edward Deleon Guerrero is earning an annual salary of $84,000. MPLA comptroller David Demapan, the brother of MPLA chair Ana Demapan-Castro, is receiving a salary of $71,400 yearly.

The governor’s annual salary amounts to $70,000.

Meanwhile, separate documents show that the MPLA board members continue to pay themselves huge amounts, despite public outcry over the board’s exorbitant compensation rates.

Three of the four MPLA board members received a total of $22,500 for attending official and unannounced meetings in the first four months of fiscal year 2006.

Each of the three board members was paid $3,000 for participating in 14 regular and special meetings between October 2005 and January 2006.

It is MPLA’s policy to pay each member $300 for any meeting that exceeds four hours and $150 for any meeting that lasts less than four hours.

On top of the meeting compensation, board member Nicolas Nekai received $7,200 for “other” meetings held without the public notice required by the Open Government Act.

MPLA board chair Ana Demapan-Castro received $4,200, while board member Felix Sasamoto got $2,100 for unpublished meetings during the four-month period.

According to MPLA’s personnel listing as of June 30, 2005, Commissioner Deleon Guerrero is the authority’s highest paid employee, followed by in-house attorney Alan L. Lane with an annual salary of $80,000.

David Demapan comes third with $71,400, followed by deputy commissioner Vincent T. Castro with $64,000.

Planning division chief Manuel Chargualaf and Consolacion Togawa each earn $60,000 a year. Land Claims Division chief Miguel M. Sablan receives $57,200 a year.

Hired less than a year ago, MPLA Real Estate and Development chief Sharee D. Maratita is now paid $57,000 a year. Maratita is Demapan-Castro’s daughter.

Ramon Salas, special assistant for land exchange and compensation, gets $55,000 a year. So does Human Resource Division chief Margarita Salas.

Other highly paid employees are CIP coordinator David Atalig, public information officer Edward Arriola Jr., Compliance Division chief John Oliver Gonzales, each of whom is paid $50,000 a year.