An apology to Justice Villagomez’s family!

The IT team has been accusing the HY campaign of “dirty campaigning,” but the latest tactic to smear Heinz Hofschneider takes the cake for being the “dirtiest,” if not the lowest and most insensitive tactic thus far in the campaign.

Last Friday, a letter was shared on Facebook that was meant as an attack on Hofschneider’s character. The letter was from the late justice Ramon G. Villagomez accusing then-speaker Hofschneider of doing wrong. I’m not sure who initially leaked the letter, but I first saw it shared on Les Ogumoro-Uludong’s account, shared from a post by Shelane Charlice. It has since been shared on the official CNMI Republican Facebook account and also on the “IT Squad” page.

My biggest issue with the letter is that it uses the words of the late justice, who is deceased and has a great legacy in our community. How dare you let a well-respected and deceased man in our community fight your fights? You have now put his surviving wife and children in a position where they must defend their late father! Leaking this letter was done neither with the family’s consent nor their endorsement. You choose to smear Heinz’s reputation with the words of a man whose wife and children are still around to witness such exploitation. That’s low and shows that the IT camp is not thinking.

I don’t know who this Shelane is, but Les is a well-known daughter of Rep. Felicidad Ogumoro. This is a shame. I’ve been following the elections and Rep. Ogumoro had run a clean, honorable campaign. It is sad that one of her supporters would come out and share this. And it is a shame that the CNMI Republicans are capitalizing on it, too. This is defamation.

You all owe an apology to the Villagomez family. I would expect an apology from all those who shared the letter as well as one from Rep. Felicidad Ogumoro, as one of her most visible supporters thought it was alright to use the “Ogumoro” family name by sharing the letter. You don’t have your supporters do your party’s dirty work and get away with it. We don’t dishonor the dead like this in our culture. This is unbecoming of the entire Republican Party.

From what I’m told, the Villagomez family is not happy about this and would rather have it taken down.

When a man isn’t around to defend himself, don’t use his words to do your dirt. As respect to the governor’s health, we saw Democratic candidate Edward Deleon Guerrero and Heinz both back off from the first scheduled Chamber forum. The sentiment that some got was that “the governor isn’t around to defend himself” (although Juan N. Babauta didn’t feel that same way), which is important in having a fair discussion on the issues.

So, I ask that both parties: Keep it clean. How about we keep the election to being about the issues, not trying to smear candidates? Why use a dead man’s words when our candidates can use their own words to persuade us?

Governor Inos has yet to accept the invitation to a forum and said a few days ago to the paper, “The campaign committee is looking at that right now and they will make a final recommendation and give their advice.” What’s there to recommend? What’s there to advise? The people want a forum! What’s there to hide from the people that the governor has to be recommended? If his health is a detriment to his participation, will it be in his term if he’s elected? The people of the CNMI should not go without a candidates’ forum before making a decision as important as deciding the next gubernatorial team that will lead us for the next four years.

Marie Camacho
Capital Hill, Saipan