Cowardice with a capital ‘C’

All elected officials of the CNMI government are to be reminded, once again, that it is unlawful and unconstitutional for the president of the Senate and speaker of the House to hold acting capacity as acting governor and acting lieutenant governor, respectively, when the governor and lieutenant governor are absent from the CNMI. If any doubt persists, these elected officials are to consult their respective legal counsels on this matter. Otherwise, the Office of the AG and AG should make clear this prohibition pursuant to the CNMI Constitution and applicable CNMI statute. If this is ignored once again, it will present itself as a matter that makes our constitution and statutes useless and only subject to the wimp of politicians and lawless lawmakers. That’s right, cowardice with a capital “C.”

The lawful way to cover for the absences of both the governor and lieutenant governor is acting appointment of cabinet members. Before leaving the region for a trip to Washington, D.C., the governor should appoint the Secretary of Finance as the acting lieutenant governor. When the lieutenant governor is absent for a trip to a conference, the Secretary of Finance who is the acting lieutenant governor now becomes acting governor who will appoint for the acting lieutenant governor.  The acting governor could select the person of the office of the Secretary of Labor. When the governor makes the lawful acting appointment of the Secretary of Finance, there all angles of lawful and constitutional considerations are met and official.  On the other hand, the CNMI history would account the first female governor and lieutenant governor. The only question for the Office of AG and AG to answer is whether a person in acting capacity of lieutenant governor could assume an acting appoint as governor. The expected absences of the governor and lieutenant governor in a few days do present a crucial situation to the present anomaly we dealt with the succession of persons who were sworn in as governor and lieutenant governor in recent weeks.

If we are not able to change our attitude, then it is useless trying out to solve solvable issues in our governmental practices and lawful acts. If it has to come from a source, I will continue to be that source and others that see the situation we are confronting turning cancerous day by day. As Arnold Bennett once said, “any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomfort.” This is the time, and we have to deal with it no matter how we dislike what the truth is.

Francisco R. Agulto
Kanat Tabla