CSC chair turns down re-appointment

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres has re-appointed former Civil Service Commission chair Herman R. Deleon Guerrero to the commission, but the latter turned down the re-appointment yesterday.

Deleon Guerrero told Saipan Tribune that Torres informed him in a letter last week of his re-appointment to serve another six years on the commission.

“I’m turning it down. The governor should appoint somebody else,” said Deleon Guerrero, adding that he sent a letter yesterday to Torres’ secretary, thanking him for his nomination but stating his decision to reject it.

Deleon Guerrero said if the governor had really intended to re-appoint him, he should have done it last January, when his term expired.

Last April 26, Saipan Tribune ran a story about Deleon Guerrero’s request for Torres to appoint someone to replace him as chairman.

Deleon Guerrero said yesterday that Torres never called him after that article, but his office received the governor’s letter about his re-appointment last week.

He said his re-appointment is not critical; what is important is that CSC should have the required number of commission members so that they have a quorum.

Deleon Guerrero said CSC is supposed to be completely neutral.

“We are supposed to act fairly and in an equitable manner to our employees. CSC is good for the government as well as the civil service employees,” he said.

Deleon Guerrero said his first concern is that there is no appointment yet to replace former commissioner Eric Plinske, whose position has been vacant for over two years now.

He said CSC needs to have quorum at every meeting to address pressing, problematic issues affecting the administration of the CNMI government departments, especially Civil Service personnel issues.

His second concern is the cut in the budget of CSC.

“We cannot hire the staff that we need,” he said.

He urged Torres to restore the commission’s budget, which according to him the administration cut almost in half. He said this cut came at a time when the new “revitalized” CSC is working hard to revive the operation of CSC.

Deleon Guerrero said Torres stated in meeting with him that he would restore the budget cut through supplemental appropriation but that has not happened

Deleon Guerrero, however, stated that he is committed to helping the Office of Personnel Management and the CSC when needed.

“I will be an advocate of Civil Service employees,” he said.