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Inos to Borja: Raise appointment issue with court
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Posted on Nov 28 2013
Gov. Eloy S. Inos said Sen. Joaquin H. Borja (Ind-Tinian) would have to raise with the court his concern about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that paved the way for his new appointment as a member of the 18th Senate based on the 2012 elections results and not the 2009 race.
Borja told Saipan Tribune that since he was appointed anew, this time based on the results of the 2012 race, then he should be given a four-year term ending January 2017 instead of only up to January 2015 based on the 2009 race.
But the governor, in an interview, said this is not up to him. He said he was only following the court decision.
“If he (Borja) was a different person in 2009, maybe the letter would be a different issue. Maybe we say well it’s a different election, and it was not you, it’s going to be somebody else. Fortunately, it’s the same person… But if he has qualms, then maybe that’s something that will have to be raised to the Supreme Court,” the governor said.
That Supreme Court decision paved the way for the appointment of Sen. Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) to complete the unfinished term of former senator Juan Ayuyu now awaiting sentencing for smuggling endangered fruit bats from Rota to Saipan.
Borja also questions Manglona’s appointment based on the 2012 election, and not in the 2009 race when Ayuyu ran for office.
Inos appointed Borja in March this year to fill the vacancy for a Tinian senatorial seat when former president Jude U. Hofschneider became lieutenant governor, since Borja was the second highest vote getter in the 2009 elections.
But when the Supreme Court recently ruled that the term “last election” referred to the 2012 race and not 2009, the Senate vacancy appointment tipped in favor of Manglona.
Applying the same principle, Inos also affirmed Borja’s appointment based on the results of the 2012 elections wherein he was also the second highest vote-getter.
But Borja claims the Supreme Court ruling was wrong. He added that people also need to raise questions about the court ruling. He said if he does not get the four-year appointment, he plans to run as Tinian senator in the 2014 elections.
Borja said he is considering bringing the matter to federal court.
