FLASHBACK January 26, 1999-2001

US labor, immigration plan rejected[/B]

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio said yesterday the Northern Marianas is still capable of implementing reforms and vowed to maintain control of minimum wage and immigration amid plans of Washington to introduce a new proposal on federal takeover of these commonwealth functions. Negotiations aimed at resolving CNMI and US differences in addressing problems arising from local labor and immigration policies bogged down last week due to irreconcilable positions of the two governments. White House representatives to the Section 902 consultations, unconvinced that commonwealth officials can reform labor and immigration, say they will draft a new legislation to put these functions under federal authority.

Japan Saipan Travel Association and Japan Airlines have objected to the plan of the Commonwealth Ports Authority to increase airport fees because this will contribute to the downturn of the island’s tourism economy. Kiyoshi Aikawa, president of JSTA, said the increase in airport fees would be passed on to consumers, pushing travelers to choose cheaper destinations such as Hawaii, Guam and Bali, Indonesia. Instead of raising fees, Aikawa said all efforts must be geared toward satisfying the tourist at a lower cost and promote the Visit the Marianas ’99 Campaign.

Teno will not appeal court ruling on AG[/B]

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday ruled out the possibility of appealing a Superior Court decision that ordered him to appoint a permanent Attorney General, saying he has no choice but to comply with the law. At the same time, he promised he will definitely submit by next week to the Senate his nomination for the position from a short list of likely candidates whom he said are willing to help his administration. In his first interview since the court handed down the ruling on Jan. 20, Mr. Tenorio stressed that he had been vocal on his intention to name a new chief government lawyer in place of acting Attorney General Maya B. Kara even before it came out.

Overall actual travel expenses by the government exceeded its Fiscal Year 1999 allotment by a little over $1 million, although it dropped by 22 percent from $4.6 million in FY 1998 to $3.6 million, a report from the Office of the Governor showed. According to the report, government-wide allotment for travel during the last fiscal year was $2.507 million while overall expenditures reached $3.605 million. The executive branch managed to cut its travel expenses from $3.5 million in FY 1998 to $2.6 million last year, of which, 57 percent or at least $1.5 million was for medical referral. However, the executive branch surpassed its $2.4 million allotment for the last fiscal year by more than $150,000.

DLNR tightens monitoring of meat imports[/B]

Quarantine officials have been asked to remain vigilant on the possible entry of meat coming from countries other than the mainland US, especially from areas hit by the mad cow disease. Lands and Natural Resources Special Assistant for Correspondences Marianne Teregeyo said quarantine officers stationed at various Commonwealth airports and seaports were advised to strictly enforce existing procedures due to reports of mad cow contamination cases in several European countries. This, even as the CNMI restricts the entry of meats from Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines and countries other than the mainland US.

A 33-year-old Filipino who was a victim of illegal recruitment in Manila was charged yesterday before the Superior Court with conspiracy to commit counterfeit. Superior Court Associate Judge Timothy H. Bellas has set a $7,500 bail for the temporary release of Bobby C. Valdez, a resident of Malasique, Pangasinan. Immigration authorities released Valdez to police custody Thursday after a day of intensive questioning. Valdez came here as a tourist with six other Filipinos who were earlier arrested by immigration and police officers at the Saipan International Airport. They sold their farms back home to come here and paid the illegal recruiters $1,000 to $1,500, each with hopes of landing good jobs so that they can give their families a better life.