Fitial, lawmakers clash on $7M for CHC

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial does not agree with lawmakers in giving the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. $7 million line of credit, but the governor asked the Office of the Attorney General yesterday to review the possibility of again placing CHC under a state of the emergency.

Fitial said his emergency declaration that expired early this month already “enabled me to take $3 million from MPLT [Marianas Public Land Trust] to finance the corporation’s operations. So that’s all they’re going to get,” Fitial said in an interview yesterday.

A six-member conference committee from the House and Senate are now working on a “compromise” bill to authorize MPLT to provide a $7 million line of credit to CHC to prevent it from shutting down.

“They don’t need $7 million because if they managed their financial affairs, they will be able to save $7 million from the management,” Fitial said, indicating that he may not sign the bill into law.

Press secretary Angel Demapan late yesterday afternoon said the governor “has asked the OAG to look into the declaration of a second state of emergency for CHC.”

“The OAG is currently addressing this matter. Further update will be made as it becomes available,” he added.

House Speaker Eli Cabrera (R-Saipan) said he hopes the governor changes his mind and support the compromise bill out of the Legislature.

Cabrera postponed yesterday’s House session to wait for the conference committee report. He said the House leadership is poised to pass the latest version of House Bill 17-278, which Rep. Ray Basa (Cov-Saipan) introduced in December.

Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) said the Senate leadership is also supporting the bill out of the conference committee.

“Just two months ago, the governor said he’s supporting the original version of HB 17-278. Now that there’s a compromise bill, he’s not supporting it. Now that CHC, the doctors, and the CEO are saying they need that $7 million, he does not want it. He doesn’t seem to see the urgency of the situation,” Manglona said.

Senators wanted increased accountability.

“Why now?” the governor asked. “They abandoned them. And now that I’m helping them they want to be part of it.”

Sen. Ralph Torres (R-Saipan), co-chair of the conference committee, said the Senate did not abandon the hospital and all along wanted CHC to have a line of credit with MPLT.