Previous Story
MPLT appointees to face Senate panel today
|
Posted on Mar 07 2006
Three appointees to the Marianas Public Lands Trust have been called to appear in a confirmation hearing today.
Gregoria F. Omar, Alvaro Santos, and John Untalan will face the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations at the Senate Chamber at 9am today, March 8, 2006.
“With the present situation our Commonwealth economy is in, please be advised the committee may have questions they want to address pertaining to the present and future operation of the department during the hearing,” Sen. Henry San Nicolas told the appointees.
San Nicolas, chairman of the Senate appointments committee, also informed the nominees that comments would be entertained from the public and government entities.
Furthermore, he assured the appointees that the hearing would be conducted “in an impartial and decorous manner.”
If confirmed, the new trustees would serve a term of six years.
Earlier, the Fitial administration had expressed plan to address allegations of abuse within MPLT by appointing new trustees. Only Vianny Hocog now remains from the previous MPLT board of trustees. He represents Rota.
“Every agency provides a different set of problems that may take different remedies. Here, the remedy may be through appointments—appoint three members who will sign up to what’s going to be a reform program that this administration will set forth,” attorney Howard Willens, the governor’s special legal counsel, had said.
