‘Call for impeachment unreasonable, lacks support’

The call for Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s impeachment is unreasonable and has no support from lawmakers, according to press secretary Charles Reyes Jr. yesterday.

In an interview with Saipan Tribune, Reyes said that, during Friday’s House’s session, representatives did not share Rep. Christina Sablan’s sentiments for the governor’s impeachment.

“I don’t think the governor has done anything that even remotely rises to the level of impeachment proceedings,” he pointed out.

The press secretary cited that the CNMI Constitution is quite clear that a governor may be impeached if he commits a felony, treason, or if he is involved in corruption or negligent in his duty.

“If you look at all those criteria, none of those situations apply to the governor,” Reyes said.

On Friday, Sablan urged lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against Fitial; she also called for the resignation of Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez, who has been indicted on criminal charges.

“The people are clamoring for a recall, for impeachment, for the Legislature to take some kind of meaningful stance against the parade of weakly-justified emergency declarations, unconstitutional executive orders, highly suspicious sole-source contracts, nonsensical threats of litigation against the federal government, failure to pay employer contributions to the Retirement Fund or to pay down the deficit—the list goes on and on,” Sablan said.

The lawmaker said Fitial’s actions might be, at the end of the day, technically legal, but “they are fundamentally, ethically, and morally wrong.”

“Taken together, they add up to dereliction of duty. Taken together, they add up to a staggering betrayal of the public trust,” she added.

With respect to Villagomez, Sablan said even if there is a chance that he might ultimately be acquitted, “in the hearts and minds of so many our people, he has lost all credibility.”

Sablan said Villagomez should not be allowed to remain in public office.

“Our personal relationships with him do not matter. All that should matter is the public trust. He must step down,” she said.

The lawmaker urged her colleagues to take a clear and united position on this issue, on behalf of their constituents, to urge Villagomez to resign or be removed.

Reyes said Sablan’s call is not reasonable and not justified by the Constitution.

On the call for Villagomez’s resignation, Reyes said the House is empowered to impeach the lieutenant governor.

“But I don’t know why she is calling for the lieutenant governor’s resignation because the lieutenant governor can’t be forced to resign,” he said.

According to the Constitution, the press secretary said, the governor and the Legislature cannot force the lieutenant governor to resign.

“At this point, if the Legislature, if Sablan wants the lieutenant governor to be removed, then she has to move for impeachment proceedings,” Reyes said.

Apparently, he added, there is no clear desire on the part of the House to impeach Villagomez.

“It has to begin in the House,” Reyes said.