CNMI Bar will evaluate Manglona, Naraja, Govendo

The CNMI Bar Association will evaluate the performances of CNMI Supreme Court Associate Justice John A. Manglona, Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja, and Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo, who are all seeking retention on the bench this November election.

In an interview over the weekend, CNMI Bar Association president Maya Kara said they are going to conduct the evaluation very soon, before the November election.

Kara said that Bar Association administrative director Suzanne Steffy will be sending the evaluation form to Bar members.

Kara said Bar members who practice in front of the judges are in the best position to evaluate the performances of judges and justices.

“The general public usually does not come in contact with judges, and judges deserve to be evaluated and voted on on their performance rather than who they know or who they’re friends with,” she said.

Manglona, Naraja, and Govendo have all submitted their intention to seek retention election this November.

Commonwealth Election Commission executive director Robert A. Guerrero confirmed that Manglona will be placed on the ballot as a candidate for retention as associate justice of the CNMI Supreme Court.

Naraja and Govendo will also be placed on the ballot for the retention as presiding judge and associate judge respectively of the Superior Court, Guerrero said.

Under a constitutional amendment, the question of whether justices or judges will be retained shall be put to a vote at a general election immediately before the end of that justice’s or judge’s initial term of office.

Manglona and then-Superior Court Associate Judge and now U.S. District Court Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona are the first to obtain an impressive “good” rating among the magistrates who underwent performance evaluation by the CNMI Bar Association.

“Good” means the magistrates often exceed minimum standards of performance. Both Naraja and Govendo got the upper end of “acceptable” rating during the 2007 Bar evaluation.

Naraja is seeking a third term as presiding judge.

Then-governor Pedro P. Tenorio appointed then-Superior Court associate judge Manglona as associate justice in April 2000. He was sworn in to the three-seat CNMI Supreme Court in June 2000.

Then-governor Pedro P. Tenorio appointed Naraja in November 2001 as associate judge. Two years later, then-governor Juan N. Babauta appointed Naraja as presiding judge.

Babauta appointed Govendo as associate judge in 2003.

In November 2007, voters overwhelmingly voted for the retention of John Manglona, Naraja, and Govendo.

With their retention in 2007, Manglona’s term that expired in 2008 was extended eight more years, while judges Naraja and Govendo, whose terms expired in 2009, got an additional six years.