FLASHBACK – May 8, 2012

Court stops relocation of Babauta[/B]

Superior Court Associate Judge Juan T. Lizama on Friday issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the relocation of Resident Representative to Washington Juan N. Babauta from his Saipan’s office in the Legislature Building in Capitol Hill. He set a hearing date on May 15, 2000 on the complaint filed by his lawyer, John M. Chambers, seeking to stop the eviction as well as to pay undetermined damages, attorney’s fees and costs and to issue other legal and equitable relief deemed appropriate by the court. House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial was named defendant to the lawsuit which came just hours before the deadline of his final warning that ordered Mr. Babauta to vacate the office by 2:00 p.m. last Friday and instructed the sergeant at arms to carry out the ultimatum.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Division of Environmental Quality will meet today with the U.S. Army Corps in Hawaii to possibly come up with a cleanup criteria in Tanapag village and Cemetery 2 amid contamination of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). Norman Lovelace, program manager at EPA Region 9, said he will press with the Army Corps officials the importance of carrying out a cleanup of the cemetery before Nov. 1 as demanded by the village residents during last week’s public hearing. Mr. Lovelace said he is optimistic that the cemetery, which has been ordered closed by the governor, will be cleared of PCB contamination as soon as possible. “It will be done and it should be done because that’s what the people want,” he said.

Apatang shifts allegiance to Covenant[/B]

Still several months away from the November elections, the Commonwealth’s political arena is beginning to heat up manifested by a number of politicians who have either jumped ship or have been bumped off. This early, some candidates seeking for a slot in the Legislature have apparently fallen victims to political maneuvering by party officials. Just last week, Republican Party Chair Joseph C. Reyes gave Rep. David M. Apatang an ultimatum resulting to the legislator’s decision to shift allegiance to the newly-formed Covenant Party.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has signed a law that postpones implementation of the new licensing rates for some amusement machines in what appears to be an attempt to save the Commonwealth’s struggling casino gaming industry. Mr. Tenorio mentioned the need for measures that would alleviate difficulties faced by Northern Marianas businesses considering the fact that the CNMI economy continues to reel from a deep crisis. House Bill 12-333 which aims to make permanent the waiver of the $6,000 fee for certain amusement machines operated by the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission received the governor’s nod as he noted the importance of helping local industries remain afloat sans undue burden from the government.

Telecom bill bounces back to panel[/B]

A bill that seeks to increase the gross revenue contribution rate of Verizon Pacifica from 0.5 percent to 2.5 percent was thrown back to the House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportations and Communications after issues were raised over the wisdom and motive of the move. Under Standing Committee Report 13-23, committee chairman Rep. Joseph Deleon Guerrero had recommended the passage of House Bill 13-033 but House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider said there is a need for the bill to be reworded, particularly since the reason cited for the passage of the proposed measure is an alleged error on the part of the 12th Legislature.

Workers at the PCB treatment site in Tanapag unearthed several pieces of vintage ordnance, prompting the Emergency Management Office to dispatch its men to the site and recover the explosives. EMO Deputy Director Mark S. Pangelinan said his men recovered a total of two live Japanese hand grenades and 14 empty shells of 105-millimeter projectile in two separate instances recently. Yesterday, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ representative Frank Ono said in a separate interview that an empty shell of an unidentified type of cylindrical ordnance measuring close to a foot in length and about 4 inches in diameter was also found at the PCB treatment site Monday.