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Posted on Nov 03 2008
My fellow Filipino Americans, now that you are ready to go to the polls to vote for a delegate to the U.S. Congress, I hope that you will have in mind the welfare of your fellow Filipinos who have been so unfortunate to remain as nonresident aliens in the CNMI, perhaps for the rest of their lives.
When I became an interim U.S. citizen, I did not abandon those who were left behind with their old status. I assisted those who were late in obtaining their CNMI permanent residency, and I succeeded for some and failed for others. For some of you who were renouncees, you will recall how I prepared some of you for the coming of the termination of the Trusteeship Agreement, so that you would be recognized as U.S. citizens. And when the U.S. Passport Office refused to issue you U.S. passports, I filed the Barasi case and our victory in that case laid the groundwork for more of you to be issued U.S. passports, even for those who applied late. When some of you stateless children were refused recognition of your birthright as U.S. citizens, I filed a case in the federal court (with the financial support of South Korean Americans) to uphold your rights, and the 9th Circuit of Appeals ruled that you were stateless no more.
With the heart that beats for our unfortunate Filipino nonresident aliens, I believe that I am making a good choice of voting for Juan T. Lizama. He has a heart that beats like mine. He is a lawyer like me. He knows the U.S. Constitution and the Covenant like I do or even more, because he has been a judge. He can argue on matters of constitutionality when legislations affecting the CNMI are brought to legislative hearings in Congress and knows what he is talking about.
My choice is not meant to take away the recognition that candidate Pedro Tenorio is the most experienced in matters of dealings with congressmen and senators in Washington, D.C., nor is it meant to ignore that in the veins of candidate John Gonzales runs the blood of Filipinos and he therefore may have the kind of heart that I have. I wish we were sending three delegates to Washington. But since we are only sending one, the best we can send I Juan T. Lizama.
[B]
Reynaldo Yana[/B]
[I]via e-mail[/I]
